Akaiso Works
by zaulster
Summary: Part II of the journey, the Star Crew heads into the Kisho Sea, where they face a mysterious and threatening organization known as Akaiso Works, all while pondering a second mystery - the Commanders of Cynicism!
1. Chapter 18: Commanders of Cynicism

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 18

Zato's Past

'Sure… I had to have grown up like everyone else. I was normal. Until the fruit came,' Zato thought to himself as the crew settled down. 'My past. I have always wanted to remind myself of the events that brought me here.'

Just the two of us… Dan and I. Our parents had perished years before. Miyin baa-sama took care of us, but she could only do so much. South Blue seemed a rough sea."

School – we went to a small tutoring session, the cheapest available. I learned the basics there, and the tutor managed to smuggle me a few textbooks. These I valued for the rest of my life.

Dan, being four years younger, was unable to grasp the subjects at my pace. The government facilities of Chiyo and Squid Islands were strict about the education systems – baa-sama had to suffer for several attempts to educate my two year old brother.

We were low on money. Eventually nothing was left, except those prized textbooks. And with those, I pursued further knowledge, severely violating the code set by the government. We had clearly dropped to a low social class – people like us didn't "deserve the right to learn".

And there came my first goal. I would show the world that we could succeed.

The threat of pirates was low in our perspectives… that was reverse for the government. Lieutenant Tsuntsun strictly enfored the principle of execution for all pirates. Even those suspected were taken to the local gallows and hung in front of crowds, 'a lesson from the government'.

They took Miyin baa-sama within a week. Dan and I cried our hearts out, and we tried to save her. Tsuntsun (who hid from us) sent a squad to deal with our home and take our belongings.

Enraged, I raced to the marine base and took out the guards only to be captured by Tsuntsun himself. "To be fair," he said, "I'll let you see your mother one last time."

Little had I known that I would be watching her execution. Before hanging her, she was given the privilege to speak to me. "Zato! Please, do not fear. You are a brave child. Take Dan and leave. This isn't unfair – I truly am a pirate. Our family has been a long chain of pirates! Zato D. Alba, you will learn everything. Grow up to be a strong pirate. Here we part, dear!"

Unfortunately, Tsuntsun arranged for Dan and I to be captured. To keep from violating "human rights", we were made as assistants, though the work seemed like slaves.

I planned for an escape, but my hunger and thirst led to the failure of that plan. Dan and I were one day cleaning the office room when we noticed a large fat fruit on the desk. A note attached said to leave untouched, but I couldn't resist…

After Dan's refusal to eat it and approval for me to consume the awkward fruit, I chomped it down, ignoring the disgusting taste it had.

The next moment, my body seemed as if it imploded, and Tsuntsun came in to find out what the ruckus was about. "The devil fruit!" he shouted. "Damn it! You can't be living if you have the powers of the Block Block Fruit!"

I asked, and he explained my newfound ability in terms that Dan too understood; following this, he drew his sword and nearly killed me.

Then, by instinct, the fruit's powers kicked in and sent the lieutenant back a bit, and destroyed the wall. Dan and I escaped and managed to catch a ship. We had no knowledge of sailing, and we eventually ended up on a foreign island.

To our fortune, it was a peaceful island. However, the government here restricted more than two children per family… Dan managed to slip into a family of one child. I left him with their care, and eventually the commodore there tried to capture me, despite not knowing my identity.

I promised Dan that we would meet once more, and I told him to become a pirate.. a good person. Like a noble pirate. And with that, I left and began my own journey, hoping I could show the world I could succeed as a strong pirate. From there I shot for the West Blue goal – the Grand Kingdom, said to have treasures and secrets. The pirate who could make it there was just about the strongest one could find.

That was my past.

\/\/-\/\/

A tear trickled down Zato's cheek as he lay rested in a corner of the ship. He quickly wiped it away and got up. At the end of the tunnel, he could see a light. "We're making it out of here. Now we're going for the Kisho Sea!"

Right outside of the mountain barrier, a larger ship collided straight into the rocks and tore up a piece of the hull. The captain of this crew sighed while resting in her large throne upon the deck. "Man, you guys sure know how to handle my ship."

Mimi Reishouteki – the captain of the Commanders of Cynicism (AKA Sarcastic Pirate Crew)! One of the men aboard kneeled before her and responded, "Thank you, your majesty. You are too kind to point out my extraordinary navigation skills…"

He was immediately smacked across the floor by a second figure, this one much smaller but carrying a large wooden stick. "Retard, that's sarcasm! Why in the world are you even on this ship if you can't recognize it?!"

Her name was Ika, and she was Captain Mimi's trusty partner. "Ah, yes, Ika. Mhm, she brings up a great point. We are indeed the Commanders of Cynicism."

Tohru cried out loud when she was flung to the side by the shaking cavern. "Something's going on outside that's cause the inside to rumble!"

Luckily, they made it out before an astonishing rockfall that sealed up the exit. Zato shot up and took a glance at the nearby ship that was currently being fixed. Ika snatched her binoculars to look at the Star Crew's ship. "Company, Mimi."

"Company? Oh jolly, we all love company don't we."

The whole crew responded, "Yes, Mimi-sama!"

"Retards!! How do you not understand sarcasm?!" Ika roared back.

"Ahh, yes. But not just sarcasm. There is something called rhetorical questions!"

Tohru put up a puzzled look, and when asked for an account of the happenings on the next ship, she said, "Er… they seem to be… I don't know!"

Soon, the ships were parallel and only a few feet apart. Zato, Mike, and Tohru leapt over the gap and into the foreign ship, approaching the new captain who lay lazily upon her throne. "I welcome you, young travelers. You must've journeyed very long to get here. You look very exhausted. You look very strong. Very noble…"

Ika cut her off, saying, "Forgive my captain. At times, she ends up ranting on about pointless details."

"If you were someone else, I'd blow you to ashes," Mimi muttered. "Oh how great. So I guess we should continue with introductions. Since you came out of the tunnel, you must be pirates journeying through the seas. I welcome you to the Kisho Sea, my homeland. We are the Commanders of Cynicism, and I am Captain Mimi Reishouteki, along with my companion Ika and the rest of my amazing crew!"

Mike looked up at their massive flag depicting a skull with twisted figures coming out. Zato grinned and nodded. "Cynicism is sarcasm. So I see, ya'll are a fun type of crew."

Mimi yawned and looked to the north, where the sky had a sudden dark coloring. "Unfortunately, you won't find your visit here in Kisho Sea very appealing. Storms have been brewing all over this region. You may as well just head straight for the next gate and enter the Helmhammer Sea, or turn back. But I warn you here and now – the Kisho Sea isn't like the Lightblue Sea. You will be doomed if you go too far north. There is a Calm Belt in that direction, and if you get caught there, you're done for."

Ika put up a cute smile and laughed, "That's only the negative parts of this sea. There _is_ a snowy island up at the northern corner, and that's where Mimi's heading!"

The captain slapped herself on the head, giving Ika a Idiot!-Why'd-you-tell-them??

Zato grinned once more.. and nodded once more. "Then we'll be there as well! Don't worry, we can split paths for now, but in the end, I assure you that we'll both meet up at this snowy island!"

Ika tossed Tohru a map of the Kisho Sea and stepped back to her captain's side. "Well, now that our ship is fixed up, I guess we can set out again… hopefully _without_ crashing."

Mimi gave Ika a quick glare and faced Zato once more. "By the way, I never caught your name."

Zato gave a quick introduction before the two crews split paths. The Shooting Star went ahead of Mimi's ship, Yoyma. Ika remained at Mimi's side while their ship glided through the waters of Kisho. "Well, Ika. You sure did ruin a lot. I'm not wanting them for my visit to the Kingdom."

"What's wrong? They seem good and innocent!"

Mimi sighed and closed her eyes as the next day slowly came to a close. "They definetly won't even make it there. A series of obstacles lie in their path."

And while Ika wasn't looking, Mimi put up a treacherous look and whispered in a new evil voice – "There's always Akaiso to be afraid of!"


	2. Chapter 19: A New Pinpointer

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Day 9: Woohoo! We're in the Kisho Sea now! And according to Ika's map, we should be reaching an awkward shaped island called… Pinpoint Island._

_The compass has also been acting up. Whatever happens, we hope that we can get through safely!_

Chapter 19

The Compass That Loses Focus

The anchor was dropped at the shoreline to keep the ship fixed, and four of the six members leapt off the ship – Fuyu, Tohru, Evian, and Olvia. "We'll go look around, Zato!" Evian cried. "Won't be long!"

Zato continued resting, his hat drawn over his head to block the sun. Mike crawled across the deck to where he lay and paced back and forth. "Zato, somethin' wrong? You've seemed down ever since we got to that tunnel."

Zato's hand reached up to adjust his cap. "Hm? Well.. I guess I'm not fine. Mainly worn out. Smoke Island indeed was rough. But it showed me… I can't be weak and cocky like the way I am."

Mike shook his head immediately and cried, "You fought a Vice-Admiral! They are some of the toughest in the World Government! And to make things worse, Agora is the son of Akainu.. one of the three Admirals! Yet you managed to hold out against him."

Zato sighed as he once again thought back to his past, and the promises he made, his dreams and goals. "My brother, Dan, is waiting back at an island in South Blue." And so, the captain told his friend about his past, the tough days he faced.

A soft wind blew to resuscitate Zato's spirit, and he stood up as if he felt much better all of a sudden. The wind pushed northwards to the opposite side of the island, rushing through a small and popular trading post.

Two boats pulled into the shoreline and four mysterious looking people jumped off. They entered the small building and immediately went to the counter. A shady man ran the store, and he leaned in to whisper something to the four. "This is 1. You are 4, Icicle, 5, and Clock, am I not right?"

They all nodded and were escorted to the refrigerator at the corner of the store. "Step in please," the owner muttered. Once they had all boarded, he shut the door and flipped open a secret panel. He punched in the code B4 and suddenly a noise was heard from within the utility. "Hehe, this elevator never ceases to impress me."

Four floors below the store, in a dark realm, the four people landed in prepared seats by a large table. The main chair, which was positioned at the end of the room, was unoccupied… well, that was before it froze and a large man appeared. "So the last four have come? It took you quite a while. Suggesting this location to meet, and then you show up last!"

Those four quickly noticed four more people sitting at the table with them. The ninth of them appeared in the last chair – he was the shady owner of the store. "Pinpoint Trading Post is an easy location for meeting amongst ourselves," he muttered.

"Silence Mr. 1! I never gave you permission to speak!" the leaer roared. This was the dangerous man who had been spoken of before – Shichibukai Kniex 'Storm' Akaiso! "I am the leader of this organization. That is the main reason why it's called _Akaiso Works_!"

Table Arrangement

…..Mr. 5…Mr. 4…Mr. 3…Mr. 2

Leader … Mr. 1

…..Miss Clock…Miss Icicle…Miss Gourmet…Miss Penny

…(takes up many seats)

"Shouldn't there be one more member?" Mr. 2 asked. Akaiso glared at him, and frost began to spread across the table to Mr. 2's location. At the same time, the table heated up greatly through Mr. 2's rage and stopped the freezing power.

"Diz, you are a rebellious one," Akaiso hissed.

Mr. 2 glared back and yelled, "If I truly went against you, I'd have you dead by now! And I never said for you to mention my name, asshole!"

Suddenly, a dark aura formed around Mr. 2 and held him down to the chair. Mr. 1's power kicked in. "Mr. 2, I'd listen to Akaiso if I were you. He hasn't released his powers yet."

"And neither have I!" shouted Mr. 2, struggling to break free from the shadowy grip around him.

Akaiso ignored his ranting and continued with business. "Our major priority is to catch the traitor. As you know, Mr. 10 has disappeared and is attempting to spread our secrets. You'll easily find him – a cat-like artist. If possible, catch Ms. Statue as well because she will have information on his whereabouts."

Mr. 5 responded, "The Calm Belt is nearby. We'll secure that location and make sure we find him. Also, the north kingdom is free, right?"

"Exactly," said Akaiso. "And that's where we will attack. The major base is there. Split up for now – meet back at Hoku no Fuyu Island. We will begin our world conquest there!"

That was the conclusion to the Akaiso Works meeting. Akaiso fused with his chair of ice and disappeared; dark magic enveloped Mr. 1 as he teleported; Diz dived into the fireplace and faded in the flames; the remainder of the members poured out of post and split up.

\/\/-\/\/

Shortly after, Zato was brought up to his feet at the sound of both Olvia and Tohru screaming in the distance. He nearly shot off in the direction of the noise, but Mike held him back. "Fuyu and Evian are both with them."

Zato shook his head and broke free. "I don't care! This could be something like Smoke Island again!"

He was wrong – Tohru and Olvia were both munching upon a plate of brownies while Evian and Fuyu lay beat up on the ground. "Fuyu… maybe we shouldn't have tried scaring them…"

"It's your damn fault for suggesting it! Now I'm not getting any food!"

Zato realized the island was rather barren – they were at a lone farmhouse sitting at the top of a hill, surrounded by grassy fields where animals could run free. "Man, you gave me a heart attack!" Zato yelled. "I thought something bad happened!"

Olvia ignored him and continued eating. Tohru explained. "We came here, this old couple living alone here offered us their hospitality and gave some freshly baked brownies. Before we could eat, however, Evian and Fuyu hid in the grass and suddenly jumped out, so I screamed, and Olvia screamed when I did."

Zato sighed and nearly took a brownie from Olvia's plate when she slapped his hand and held it to herself. "No," she spat with her mouth full. Tohru also sighed, but she gave Zato one anyways.

Finally, the couple emerged from their shelter. "For pirates, you sure are calm and kind. The ones we've encountered have been scoundrels – they've stolen some of our livestock!" said Pin jii-san.

Poni baa-sama held her husband's hand and said, "We try to be helpful. We have even given information to some pirates in exchange for our lives to be spared!"

Tohru leaned close and asked, "Information?"

Pin nodded. "It's very disappointing. Pirates rarely believe us, but we tell them that compasses don't work anymore through West Range Blue."

Zato, Fuyu, and Tohru's jaws dropped. Olvia let go of her plate of brownies, and they tumbled downhill. Evian sighed and hit himself in the head, thinking, 'Damn! Forgot to tell them!'

"What.. what do you mean compasses don't work?" Tohru cried. "We aren't even in the Grand Line!"

Suddenly, Pin stretched his arm out and dropped a small object into Zato's hand. "This region of see is very peculiar, unlike any other. The geography has a certain effect upon the compass that prevents it from working."

"However, to counter this effect, a man originating from this island used the rich soil and minerals here that managed to produce a new type of compass that would be able to withstand the forces of West Range Blue!"

Zato inspected the object in his hand. It looked like a compass… only it didn't. Tohru immediately recognized it as a Range Pose. "Oh my gosh! That's similar to a Log Pose of Grand Line! It works the same way, right?"

After a few approvals and many thanks, the crew prepared to leave the barren island. As they began to trek back to the ship, Fuyu faced Pin jii-san again. "So, who was the guy who developed this Range Pose?"

Poni baa-sama dropped to her knees and began to sob. "Our own son, a man going by the name Diz. He was a genius alright, and he taught us how to do it before sending it out to the government. But… before they could come and reward him, that Shichibukai Akaiso came and snatched him!"

Tohru and Zato helped to comfort Poni, and Pin took over. "We protested against the government for taking away people just to use them, but they didn't even believe that Akaiso took him. They even asked him, and he said no. One day, a message arrived through a Den Den Mushi… it was Diz alright! He was being held captive by Akaiso, and he couldn't fight back. He was forced to be a servant to the Shichibukai. To make things worse, Akaiso started some secret organization and made Diz one of the higher-ranked members. He even forced our child to eat a devil fruit, and disciplined him with torture.

"These are the dangers of the Kisho Sea. Many ships have simply disappeared before they could even reach the Calm Bridge – a narrow strait that can take crews through the Calm Belt! Be aware, and please, stop this organization if you find it. The government hasn't listened to our pleadings; they only force us to make Range Poses!"

Even Pin, the strong old man, collapsed at this point. Fuyu kept a close eye upon Evian, who was twitching his fingers, while Olvia began to form a small puffball in her hand.

She compressed the fluff and it instantly solidified into two crystals. "Sweet, how'd you do that?" Evian cried.

"These are Purity Charms," Olvia said with a smile to the old couple. "It may seem like just some mineral, but it brings good luck and good fortune to those who carry it. Don't lose it, and you'll remain blessed."

Pin and Poni accepted the gifts graciously and returned her blessings with another object, this one being a necklace. "Pearls," Tohru whispered at the sight. "How beautiful."

"We only had two of these ever. These too are fortune charms, as the only ones who have made it through the Kisho Sea have been those who wore these necklaces. I believe you would do well with this," explained Poni, putting it around Tohru's neck. "Star Pirates, you are brave to come this far. Let peace and prosperity remain amongst your crew. Success _shall_ come for you!"

Departure from the island with brand new knowledge, and even some beneficial gifts, left a positive attitude upon Zato. 'This Akaiso, I'll find him and take him down quick.'

Evian was near sweating at this moment, and Fuyu seemed highly suspicious. 'Akaiso… Diz… _everything_ coming down to this sea. I'll have to plan things out.'

"Yo, Evian," Fuyu muttered, causing him to shriek and bang his head against one of the house's support pillars.

Mike came eventually and dragged him back to the ship…

**At the same moment, a number of agents gather upon the next island.**

**Enjoy, don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 20: Mr 10 the Traitor

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Day 10__: Why is it called "kingdom"… if it's just an n-shaped, barren island?_

_I speak of the Clamp Kingdom, the next island. No inhabitants whatsoever. Just some clear space, a few forests, and a coast pushing inwards. I think the history involved a kingdom. Oh well, we're pirates, and we're on a journey. Bound to be _some_ excitement!_

Chapter 20

Mr. 10 the Traitor

The morning fog slowly began to clear away in the vast sea. A small and tipping-over canoe pushed its way through the then-calm water, and the two figures inside finally woke up. "Meh," the male mumbled. "Winnie, you alright?"

The female shuffled to the side and spat (in her soft voice), "Noo! It's not Winnie, it's Ms. Sculptor! And _you're_ Mr. 10!"

This was the wanted traitor of Akaiso Works – a young man around twenty who carried a rather large (but folded up) notebook, a brush, and a color palete. "I told you, I'm Neko, and you're Winnie! We left Akaiso Works already!"

Winnie sighed and replied, "It's not like I like it either. But I'm not leaving. You know, they'll catch you.. and do bad stuff to you."

"Like kill me!" Mr. 10 cried. "Aiyah, my wretched soul, trapped upon this world wandering and fleeing from mad and villainous people going by names like 1, 2, 4, 44, 56, 88…"

"Stop it Neko!!" Winnie screamed (which came out as Mr. 10's whisper). She immediately cupped her mouth and felt stupid.

"Haha!" he roared. "I knew it! I knew you'd say my true name! Let us rid ourselves of these stupid number names and keep our dignity…"

"Nya," she mumbled. "Neko and Winnie. It doesn't matter 'bout our names. They'll catch us anyways. We're trapped here in this boat, we can't swim or we'll drown, and they'll catch us soon."

"Winnie… are you gonna leave the organization with me?"

Unfortunately, she shook her head. "I wish I would, but I won't. I'm gonna try to reach Pinpoint Island, where the old couple could help take care of me. I won't betray them though, cause they'll find me… and I'm afraid of that."

They finally emerged from the fog and an island came into view. Already a pirate ship had anchored at the coast, bringing panic among the two of them. "Neko, you're leaving?"

"Yes, sorry Winnie. I have to go now. Please don't get caught."

"Nya, I should say that to you. I'll miss you, Neko. Goodbye. I hope we'll meet again." That moment marked the point where Mr. 10 bid farewell to his partner.

\/\/-\/\/

"So remind me why we stopped here if there isn't anything on this island?" Olvia mumbled.

"Because Evian was feeling seasick," responded Zato.

"WHAT?!" Tohru shouted, hitting Evian on the back. He suddenly turned green and barfed. "How can you be sick when you were a strong captain sailing on the rough seas?!"

Evian faced Tohru with another queasy look. "Oh no you don't, I'm not the one you'll be letting everything out on!" she snapped, jabbing him in the stomach with her rod.

That was a mistake, as Evian was forced to let out not just what was currently coming up his throat, but all the indigested material accumulated in his stomach. It soaked down from Tohru's head till his toes. "AIYAH!!" she screamed.

In a nearby forest, a man sitting in a tree suddenly fell down from the thick branch due to the loud sound. "That _couldn't_ have been Missus Butterfly!" he cried. "Maybe it was Missus Windmill."

Two hooded figures approached him from behind and kicked him upright. "Mr. 9, as immature as ever," said the first. The new pair removed their hoods and revealed themselves – Mr. 8 and Ms. Windmill!

"Wahah," Ms. Windmill chuckled. "If you thought that was me, you're clearly mistaken. And it's not your partner either. Some other pirates have landed ashore and are exploring. They seem clumsy, but they have a decent ship."

Mr. 9 stroked his bald head while thinking. "Pirates, eh? Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go steal that ship!" Before he could dash off, Mr. 8 flickered in his path and knocked him to the ground.

"Baka, think before you move. I don't think it's wise to attack a pirate crew without planning! We should never judge them by a first view! We'll need to isolate two or three members first."

Back where the crew stood, Tohru nearly drowned herself at the shoreline trying to rid herself of the vomit on her. Olvia attempted to calm her with soothing music – that didn't work. Instead, Tohru ran down the shoreline, saying she'd come back once she felt better.

_Swish! Swosh!_ Fuyu was the first to notice two shuriken zip by and hit the side of the ship. He jumped to action and knocked the explosive projectiles (for they had explosives attached) before they went boom. "Someone's out there attacking us already."

Four shuriken went straight for Zato, but he quickly absorbed their energy and released it back at the trees in the distance, causing them to hurl to the side as if a brusque tornado shot by. "Zato, hold on! They obviously are trying something if they're hiding out and striking from distance! I'll go out and find the enemy. We never know if there are several more planning on attacking the ship while we're distracted."

Zato understood what Fuyu said and instantly leapt back on the deck. "Guys, get on quick! We're gonna sail along the shoreline of this island to get out of this place!"

Fuyu nodded and dashed across the barren field towards the forest afar. "Don't worry 'bout me, just meet me on the other side of the island!!"

\/\/-\/\/

_Whip! Smack! Slash! Crack! Whack!_ Fuyu hacked his way through the dense vegetation blocking his path. "Damn those magots, they sure love to run," he hissed. Fuyu took a deep breath and then roared, "I know you're fleeing from me! I can easily sense you not so far ahead!"

Shockingly, another shuriken came at him, this one from the side. "What the hell?!"

He darted forward to dodge but tripped over a wire that brought bars flying up all around him. "So you laid out this trap from the start, huh?" Fuyu muttered.

Mr. 9 floated down from the tops of the forest and landed upon the cage. "Gee, I thought you'd send at least a few more… whatever. Mr. 8! Missus Windmill! I caught him rather quickly!"

"_Nitoryu: Blind Rotation_!" Fuyu swung his swords spinning and instantly tore through the many bars that restricted him from escaping. "Some trapmaker you are," he mumbled. Mr. 9 leapt back up into the air in the nick of time to avoid Fuyu's uppercut. "Damn you coward!"

Mr. 9 landed on another thick branch where Mr. 8 and Ms. Windmill both stood as well. "I recognize your face," said Mr. 8. "Hehe, don't tell me Lightblue's Fuyu Sashimi decided to join up with lame pirates."

Fuyu immediately understood who they were. "So rumor were true. The organization does indeed exist." Mr. 9 looked a little baffled upon hearing this. "Ya'll are just punks from Akaiso Works, aren't you?"

"It sure is a bit threatening to us when our enemy, who shouldn't know, knows about our organization. I don't know how you heard, but it doesn't matter. Akaiso Works _will_ eliminate you!!" Mr. 8 hissed, and all three agents flickered out of the tree.

"So the battle begins," whispered Fuyu.

\/\/-\/\/

Tohru walked through the forest when she began to hear _clinking_ sounds. "Is that… Fuyu's sword? Colliding with something else?! Oh gosh, it probably is! Maybe the crew's in trouble! I gotta go check it out!"

A few yards behind, Mr. 10 watched from a tree branch. He noticed what was going on from the very start, ever since, when he came to the island's shore, he noticed a few boats as well as the pirate ship. "Pirates… and Akaiso Works members on this island!"


	4. Chapter 21: Mr 8 and 9 Pairs

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 21

Mr. 8 and 9 Pairs

Mr. 9 dived in from the right with intentions of pushing Fuyu into another trap. The swordsman responded by leaping right past him and swing up onto a thick branch.

"_Shuriken Windfall_!" Ms. Windmill yelped from above. Before Fuyu could slip a dagger out of his pocket, she disappeared in the wind as hundreds of shuriken began to plummet down to his location from the sky.

Fuyu made it out of the death zone but ran straight into Ms. Windmill's reappearance – she kicked him back into a tree and hit her mark with three more shuriken. "You're fast, but you can't face the likes of us," she chuckled.

Out of nowhere the poison daggers zipped through Ms. Windmill's empty sleeves, pulled her backwards, and held her against the tree standing directly in front of him. "My aim is much more precise than yours, but since you got me first, I could only keep you restrained from movement," Fuyu responded as he pulled the three projectiles out from his skin.

"I'm still your enemy, idiot!" Mr. 9 roared. He shot up from the ground and threw his fist forward at Fuyu. _Whoosh!_ Fuyu stepped to the side, and Mr. 9 continued soaring up for a few more seconds… then tumbled back to the ground head-first.

Fuyu leapt across to the tree where Ms. Windmill struggled to break free. "Damn, I would just crawl out of this outfit, but that very rude, and I wouldn't show off my body to you!"

"Good, cause I'm not interested in your ugliness," said Fuyu. He drew his blade and brought it down upon the helpless female.

_Clank!_ Mr. 8 appeared in the nick of time, blocking the blow with a thick steel rod. "Miss Windmill, I'm surprised you'd be put in a situation of this sort!... As for you, Fuyu Sashimi. I'm the strongest of this group, and I'll clearly make you regret challenging Akaiso Works."

"You're the ones who attacked us first," he mumbled, enraging his offenders even more.

"Miss Windmill, let us not hold back any longer!" said Mr. 8. Once again, Ms. Windmill faded in the wind while Mr. 8 swung his rod over and over at Fuyu.

Fuyu parried over and over until finally he knocked the rod out of Mr. 8's hands and caught it in his own. Unfortunately, his opponent's plan then came into action. "_Meltdown_!" Mr. 8 hissed, and the rod began to literally melt in Fuyu's hand.

He roared at the scorching pain of heat and dropped it. Upon collision with the tree he stood on, it began to catch the whole forest on fire. "What the hell did you do?!" Fuyu cursed. He lunged at the defenseless Mr. 8 when another shower of shuriken came down upon him.

This one he didn't get to dodge.

\/\/-\/\/

Zato watched smoke rise from the center of the island and put up a worried look. "It's getting intense. Evian, grab hold of the wheel!"

\/\/-\/\/

Fuyu finally opened his eyes. All he could see was blood gushing out of the numerous punctures in his skin. Mr. 8 and Ms. Windmill retreated back to their original branch and hooted with laughter at the sight of Fuyu collapsing. "Alright then, these pirates should be no problem to take care of."

Before they began to move, Mr. 9 landed in front of them. "The fools you are! _Fuyu Sashimi_, defeated! His bounty is rather high, so let us take his head!"

Mr. 8 grinned and proceeded towards his victim. "I expected much more from the fifty-million-man. Whatever, prepare to face your death!"

_Whoosh!_ Mr. 8 took a direct hit from Ms. Windmill's own weapon. He lost balance and dropped down from the branch. Mr. 9 looked at Ms. Windmill, who was just as surprised as he was.

Tohru swung into action at once with the weapons she stole. "These shuriken do soar with the wind. Things pertaining to wind element should be naturally in my own hands!"

Her moment of triumph was immediately lost when Mr. 9's partner dived in behind her and knocked her out. "I am very sorry Mistuh 9!" she squeaked. "The fruits was very good!"

Two of the Star Pirate Crew's members were down at the hands of four Akaiso Works agents. The last words Fuyu remembered were – "Missus Butterfly! I'm glad you came in the nick of time!"

\/\/-\/\/

Surprisingly, Fuyu opened his eyes once again. "Am I dead already?" he mumbled. It seemed close to hell – he and Tohru lay in a thick cage close to the four who stopped them. They were sitting by a warm campfire, planning whatever action they were to take next.

Fuyu immediately noticed his two swords and many daggers hanging from the tree they huddled beneath. Mr. 8 shot a glance at him, whispered something to the group, and they all stood up. "Great," Fuyu muttered.

"It's amazing that you survived. We didn't plan on killing you yet – we're more of the torturesome kind," Mr. 9 chuckled.

Mr. 8 took over. "For that very reason we were hoping you wouldn't die so easily. We wanted to _burn you alive_!"

The bars of their cage immediately started glowing with heat and started to melt. Tohru woke to the extreme conditions and screeched, "Aiyah! I thought I already died!!"

Fuyu made an attempt to hold up the roof of the cage, which was now collapsing, but the heat prevented him from doing so. "This'll last for maybe another minute… then we're dead. That's unless someone douses it with water. I figured your power already. Obviously it's a devil fruit."

Mr. 8 put up a dirty look before responding, "Sharp, are we? Don't worry, you won't be able to use your deducive skills any longer, Fuyu Sashimi. I've already prepared your funeral!"

"Shutup already," Fuyu muttered. "Alright, so we're about to die."

"Waah!!" Tohru cried.

"What? You said earlier, 'I thought I already died!' It won't change things too much," he sighed, finally lying down.

The roof depressed. "I'd rather die with my eyes closed, so then I won't experience the torture as much…"

"But..! We can't die!!"  
"Says who?"

"Zato… he'll probably come save us!" Tohru sobbed.

\/\/-\/\/

Zato was beating Evian on the head for nearly steering the ship into the cliffside.

\/\/-\/\/

Fuyu chuckled to himself. "Yeah, after we're fried." He finally closed his hands.

As miracles do always occur, a light appeared from above. Mr. 10, or should I say Neko, mystically drifted down from the air, carrying a thick black suitcase in one hand and a pail of water in the other. "I am here to put an end to Akaiso Works!" he hummed in a deep voice…

Then he tripped, and tumbled down, and spilled his pail of water upon the melting cage. And he landed clumsily on the ground, also accidentally letting go of his suitcase which soared and hit Mr. 9 in the head.

Fuyu and Tohru watched as the cage slowly began to cool. "Did that just happen?" Fuyu mumbled.

Tohru seemed just as puzzled as he was. "Er… yeah.."

Mr. 9 threw the suitcase to the side to reveal his swollen head. He steamed with rage. "You fool! I don't know where you came from, but you'll die!"

Mr. 8 recognized Neko at once. "He's a huge threat! Mr. 10, the traitor! He holds secrets to our organization that Mr. 0 definetly doesn't want being spread out!"

Neko now lay on his knees, pounding his fists upon the ground in depression. "My water.. precious water gone to waste.. it took days for Winnie and I to collect it.. what in Sam's Hill just happened?

Fuyu and Tohru both said, "Hey, can you help us out a bit?"

Neko continued pounding, even while Mr. 9 made his charge towards him with a massive sledgehammer in his hand. "Will you not even listen when I'm about to kill you?!" Neko looked up with a glare and flicked his art brush into his hand. Mr. 9 raised the hammer over his head, ready to bring it down, but Neko lunged forward and jabbed him in the eye with the brush. Mr. 9 screamed, "The hell!!", and his destructive tool dropped down upon his head.

Having finally realized what happened, Neko shrieked and produced a wet cloth. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, it was an accident!"

"Accident my ass, you squirt! I'm gonna kill you!" Mr. 9 roared. A cat-dog chase began (_Neko means cat in Japanese_). Despite his newfound strength, Mr. 9's vision and sensory was blurred… so it was expected of him to crash into the tree.

Fortunately that tree was the tree Fuyu's weapons hung from. The first sword flew out of its position and swung straight towards the cage. It stuck right through the top and nearly went all the way to the bottom. Tohru and Fuyu dived to the sides in the nick of time to avoid being stuck. "Is it just me, or are the most unpredictable things happening to me today?" Tohru asked. Fuyu didn't listen at all, for he grasped hold of his weapon and immediately broke out of the cage.

The two star pirates walked forward – after retrieving their weapons – and were soon joined by Neko. "Four of them, three of us. Now's the time we get serious," said Fuyu. "You've been playing too long. I intend to rip ya'll into pieces!"

Fuyu flew forward at Ms. Windmill because he hoped to get revenge for the previous attack. Mr. 8 flashed in the way and clashed with two thick blades. "I'm afraid I too wasn't being serious back there, Fuyu."

The swordsman grinned and responded, "I see you like protecting her very much. Well, you can't do that when I'm in your way." Tohru zipped past Mr. 8 and swung her rods at Ms. Windmill.

"I heard you being called Ms. Windmill. I'll show you who's that title should really be given to!" Tohru spat.

Neko yawned and walked off, but he was knocked down by Ms. Butterfly. "It's time I revealed my powers. I am as elegant and graceful as a soaring butterfly, who spreads magic with every swing of…"

"You're not a butterfly," mumbled Neko. A few seconds later he fought hard to keep her from hitting him in the face.

Mr. 9 sighed and closed his eyes. "How could the traitor take me out with stupidity?.. Death awaits. Ms. Butterfly, you better send him to the next world with me!!"

The first of Akaiso Works died.


	5. Chapter 22: Threat to Akaiso Works

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 22

The Threat to Akaiso Works

Massive gusts spawned out from the skirmish between Tohru and Ms. Windmill. Each armed themselves with shuriken and flung them at high speeds. The momentum of their spinning was enough to create strong winds in the scene.

Fuyu attempted guerilla tactics while combating Mr. 8 because he knew the two swords his opponent carried would easily melt his own. "Melt Melt Fruit doesn't work so well when the target's moving so quickly. But for weapons you're holding, it's simple to heat them up quickly."

Mr. 8 lunged at him once more, but missed when Fuyu jumped high into the air. The swordsman noticed how fast he was going at and decided to try a trick…

_Whiff_! To Mr. 8's shock, Fuyu literally kicked the air beneath him and shot himself up higher. "I must be hallucinating, you're just moving fast!" Mr. 8 cried.

Fuyu grinned while shaking his head. He had performed _soru_, a legendary technique known only to a few of the strongest beings in the world. 'It's not so hard,' he thought to himself. 'This will give me a good edge to leave him puzzled.'

Mr. 8 suddenly flickered to the ledge Fuyu nearly caught onto and swung his blade. Fortunately, the swordsman leaned backwards in time to dodge the slash. "Your technique is much more elaborate than my _Senkou Sochi_! Don't tell me you've mastered _soru_!" He had no time to speak any longer, for Fuyu shot down at him and swung his swords with rapid movements.

Below them, Tohru and Ms. Windmill brought their fight to close combat. Tohru tried to bat her down with her rods, but Ms. Windmill liked the idea of taunting her opponent by fading away and reappearing in random locations. "The wind is with me, silly child. I am a part of it, the same essence! That is how I fade with the wind!"

Tohru jabbed her in the stomach and caused Ms. Windmill to fall to her knees coughing out blood. "Shutup already!"

Ms. Butterfly seemed to be adjusting her wings and adding some substance to their surface. While she was preparing herself, Neko sat with his art set out and was painting a portrait of her. When she stood up, Neko threw a fit and crankily shrieked, "No! Don't move!! STOP!!" She insisted upon ignoring his 'orders' and simply walked up to his painting.

"That's lovely," she whispered. Suddenly, she 'karate-chopped' it (well, her hand swelled up in the process, and the board barely snapped) and stepped on the pieces that fell to the ground. "You want to stand around insulting me with ugly images?! I'll teach you!!"

"But I'm sitting down… and you can't call a painting ugly when that's what it depicts!" Neko whined.

She slapped him across the face and continued her attempts to beat him up. Neko shot back with his brush, angry that his passion of painting had been ruined.

"You think you're a pretty butterfly, but you're just an ugly woman!" Neko shouted. Ms. Butterfly took extreme offense and put her 'plan' into action.

Neko set up his chair once more as he watched her climb up the local rockwall. Once she arrived at the top, she began to flap her wings violently, spraying a glittery powder down upon Neko. "I'm not just a butterfly! I have mystic powers! _Boru_ powder is what I use to put fools like you to sleep. So give up, nobody can simply resist the soporific aroma it possesses!"

Neko fell for her trap and decided to give up, shutting his eyes as soft music went in his ears. "I… feel… weak… but I am… happy… so happy… this aroma… aroma…" he mumbled. Suddenly, the direction of the wind changed and pushed some of the powder right up into his nose, causing him to sneeze and send the whole cloud of _Boru_ soaring away.

"Meh! I knew it, there isn't even an aroma! You have no magical powers! And besides, if you were even a butterfly, you wouldn't have had to climb up that rockwall!"

Ms. Butterfly screamed back, "I AM A BUTTERFLY BAKA!"

"Then prove it! You should be able to fly!"  
She took his advice and flapped her wings once more. After a short running start, she kicked off into the air. "See, I can fly!!"

Her wings took her a few yards when the wind picked up and tore right through the paper constructions. Ms. Butterfly, now without wings, fell from a few hundred feet. _Crash_! Neko looked into the wide crater she formed and gasped.

"_Soru_!" Fuyu hissed once more. He flashed right past Mr. 8 once more and sent his opponent plummeting down to the ground. Tohru attached her two rods together and spun her long weapon rapidly. "_Jinsoku_!" she cried while performing an attack similar to Fuyu's. Ms. Windmill took the hit directly and fell backwards.

Mr. 8 came down from the air and landed right beside her. "Damn you pirates!" he spat while trying to get up, but his head was pressed back down into the dirt by Fuyu's foot.

"I don't forgive people who try to melt me, but I don't know if its worth my time wasting my sword on you," he sighed. Turning to Ms. Windmill, he said, "As for you, whether you're worth my effort or not, I'm definetly not going to give any mercy."

Tohru tried to protest and remind Fuyu that she was his enemy, but Fuyu spun his two weapons and dug them into the chests of Mr. 8 and Ms. Windmill. Tohru screamed and blocked her eyes from the spurt of blood. "Fuyu…!"

She saw in his eyes that he was nothing like the same person. 'Bloodthirsty, he's not someone I'd want to interfere with.'

Suddenly, Fuyu's two victims began to melt and form two small puddles. Fuyu's eyes widened when he saw Mr. 8's face appear in the liquid. "Our mission is a failure. We have lost Mr. 9, and Ms. Butterfly shall no longer be considered a member. You are indeed strong, Fuyu Sashimi. It's unfortunate that we must part so quick. However, realize that this victory means nothing, for you are currently an insignificant threat to Akaiso Works. And no matter how much value you are, all threats are to be destroyed!

"Next time you cross paths with Akaiso Works, your entire crew as well as Mr. 10 will be annihilated!"

Fuyu shot his sword a second time, but Mr. 8 quickly disappeared. "Damn it, so close but they got away."

\/\/-\/\/

As the sun slowly moved lower in the sky, Tohru made sure the bodies of Mr. 9 and Ms. Butterfly were lain properly before she and Fuyu set out to find the coast. Neko, unfortunately, disappeared nearly after his opponent's death.

"Fuyu," Tohru whispered. "I've been thinking."

Once she caught his attention, she continued. "What is your goal? I mean overall. Why'd you join this crew?"

"You want me to leave?" he mumbled.

Tohru shook her head and cried, "No! No! I'm asking, what do you hope to achieve? Everyone in this crew has their own goal. Zato wants to find the treasure, I want to make a map of the seas, Mike wants to find his former master. Like that!"

"Well, Zato's strength was impressive. I knew that if I joined this crew, he could help me to find the one I've seeked from several years back. He's a man going by the name Karo Migotsu."

"Who's he?" Tohru asked.

Fuyu shook his head and responded, "I don't wanna talk about it anymore."

Tohru planned to question him again, but she was stopped by a loud call in the distance. It was clearly Zato, Evian, and Mike shouting for them. "Come on, they're waiting! Let's go!" she exclaimed.

With new confidence, Tohru dashed through the woods with Fuyu close behind towards their _nakama_.

\/\/-\/\/

A creaky, wooden boat drifted through the evening mist. Mr. 8 and Ms. Windmill finally got up from their long rest and steered the vessel northwards. "The next pair should be nearby. We could quickly inform them of Fuyu, Mr. 10, and the pirates."

Ms. Windmill nodded to the statement and the two leaned back into their resting positions. "But overall, we mustn't let Mr. 0 know of our failure."

Out of surprise a loud cackle filled the scene. Terror appeared in the pair's eyes upon the sight of a massive ship appearing in front of theirs. "Failure is apparent in your miserable faces!" the female hissed.

Mr. 5 and Ms. Clock, a dangerous duo, perched upon the bow while snickering at the miserable pair in the boat. "We expected you to lose from the start. Fuyu Sashimi isn't the type of person you can stand up to. But losing _Mr. 10_! That says something!"

Mr. 8 moved to attack – unfortunately their small boat exploded before he could do anything. "Thank us," Ms. Clock crowed. "We saved you from Mr. 0's wrath, as you wished."

The two were pulled back by dark swirls of magic. Mr. 1 stood behind them with his arms stretched out while shaking his head. "Enough wasting time. They were at the Clamp Kingdom. Make sure they don't get to the Helmhammer Sea! I'll make preparations at the northern island."

Having finished his task there, the dark aura enveloped Mr. 1 and teleported him. "_Failure will not be tolerated_!" his voice echoed in his underlings' heads.


	6. Chapter 23: Clamp Kingdom of the Past

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 23

Clamp Kingdom of the Past

Time Vixen of the Future

Neko trekked through the dense forest. His ambition was to slip aboard the pirate ship before the crew set off once more. 'They _are_ against Akaiso Works, so I'd better tell them everything.'

Further ahead, Tohru and Fuyu climbed up on deck to rejoin their friends. Zato immediately questioned the occurances, and was disappointed about the outcome.

Meanwhile, two presences unknown to them shuffled in the nearby bushes. Mr. 5 waved his hand to make a signal, and Ms. Clock hooked up the gadget in her hands. "Are we really supposed to waste an entire weapon on them?" she mumbled.

"Just set it off. We'll get out of here in time, and they'll suffer for being in range."

"As for Mr. 10?"

"Hope he's still loitering around," Mr. 5 suggested.

Just a few minutes later, as Zato's crew began to set out, the entire island was caught in a massive explosion. The impact waves shot out at once as if trying to seize Shooting Star and crash her.

"Kumo Kumo Kabe!" Olvia chanted. She waved her hands mystically and formed a thick mass of clouds to block off the strength of the explosion.

Unfortunately, Neko blasted straight through from the impact while squealing, "I'm gonna die!!" All of the crew members looked at him in puzzlement (well, Tohru and Fuyu hit their heads and sighed).

Realizing the ship was right there, Neko's hopes rose. "Zomgash! I… I'm gonna live! I'm gonna be saved!"

It was pitiful when he soared straight past and plunged into the water. Upon coming to the surface, Neko splashed like a petulant child screaming, "I'm gonna die!!"

Then he noticed that floating wasn't a foolish concept some man 'published in a fiction novel'. He looked around in confusion before looking up at the silent crew that stared at him.

"Okay, what are you waiting for?" Fuyu mumbled.

Neko thought for a moment before responding, "Well, I've been waiting for an Iyin all my life long. That's what got me caught in trouble, cause some evil man said he knew where the Iyins were…"

"Just get aboard!" they all roared, making him quiver with fear. When he remained motionless, Olvia shot a cloud down to pick him up. Of course, he thought it was an attack and splashed crazily again.

A few attempts were taken before she scooped him up and dropped him upon the deck. Again, Neko went berserks and nearly dived off, thinking he was being held hostage.

When another look was taken, Neko sat tied up to the pole, struggling to break lose, yapping, "I don't wanna be a prisoner of war!!"

All the while, Tohru and Evian took control of the ship as it escaped Akaiso Works' bomb.

\/\/-\/\/

Tohru sat down, exhausted from the events of that day. "This Akaiso Works is pretty strange."

The next thing she knew, (well she didn't actually know) she was sound asleep.

Same with the remainder of the crew, except Neko. He yawned and made another attempt to loosen the ropes that bound him. "Meh, I should've stayed with Winnie. What was I thinking?"

Suddenly, he felt a light breeze. "It's chilly out here. I feel.. what's going on? Why's the ship moving? Didn't they drop anchor??"

Indeed the ship was slowly drifting backwards, away from the sandbar it took rest upon. "Wha!! No! No!! Save me! SOMEONE!!" he screamed.

Evian heard his yapping from their quarters beneath. He pushed his blanket away and looked at Fuyu. "Is he okay?"

"He's been doing that since he was bound up. Just leave him, he'll get over it soon enough," Fuyu responded, ushering him to go back to sleep.

Neko finally stopped and sighed. "Maybe I'm hallucinating. Bleh, it's nighttime. I should go to sleep as well." He made an attempt, but strangely enough, it took him many seconds to simply close his eyes. He tried opening them, but the same effect occurred. Even when he spoke, it was as if something was holding back his jaw! The only sounds that came out were drivel, and so he was still ignored.

'What's going on?!' Neko thought. Even the sweat trickling down his cheek was going slowly. "Everything's going slower! I can't even talk!"

And then he saw the beast in front of the ship. It was a massive Sea King, drivel dripping from its mouth. On its head was a female figure with little apparel. "Mr. 5, isn't my power amazing? The ability to mess with time sure is helpful."

"Good, now let's put an end to the meddling Star Pirates!" the Sea King growled. He shot his head down at the ship and nearly got the best of it when a large flare lit the night sky.

A male now stood at the peak of the mast with a staff armed. "Beware, creature! You have come face to face with an extraordinary figure! I am the glorious Evian Jacques!"

Fuyu and Olvia ignored his bragging and leapt into battle!


	7. Chapter 24: Bloody Sea King

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 24

Bloody Sea King

With the shining light, the whole area lit up. Neko broke free from the spell and began kicking wildly. Evian's sight increased, giving him a full view of the female opponent. Staring at what was on her (and what was not), his eyes filled with hearts. He made a wild attempt at a eulogy to his love, but failed when nobody gave him a good approval.

Ignoring his 'worthless' crewmates, Evian shot through the air directly at the Mr. 5 pair. Ms. Clock, who wore a shiny yellow two piece outfit, was too busy keeping her balance and sight, and therefore she didn't notice Evian until he landed right in front of her.

The two now positioned upon the Sea King's head, Evian made a soft noise and reached his hand forward. It took no more than his small grasp to stimulate her loud scream. She, in response, thrust her leg up and kicked him right where it hurts the most.

Evian's eyes turned red, his face went pale, and his body went limp. With a short shriek, he collapsed from the head of the beast and dropped into the ocean. Fuyu, Olvia, and Neko just stared blankly, not knowing what to say, before continuing what they were doing – Fuyu and Olvia about to attack the enemies, and Neko wailing and struggling.

"Ms. Clock, are you alright?" the Sea King groaned. She put up the face of a helpless damsel-in-distress, then suddenly changed into a ferocious vixen.

"These damn pirates, let's kill them already!!" she screeched. Fuyu swung his sword and collided with the tough head of the Sea King, sparking the fight between the two.

Olvia came from above and caught Ms. Clock in a thick layer of clouds. "Kumo Shockwave!" she cried, sending a pulse through her captive. Ms. Clock managed to break free in time and raced down the Mr. 5's neck. Olvia continued sending a series of cloud projectiles at her opponent, hoping to stop her before she got away.

Fuyu pushed hard against the brick wall he faced, but found it no use when Mr. 5 swatted him back with his large fin. "Fuyu Sashimi, you are the one who mercilessly took out Mr. 8 and Mr. 9 pairs. Makes you feel strong, eh? Try fighting an opponent of my size!"

Fortunately, Fuyu crashed landed on deck, right in front of Neko. "Set me free!" Neko cried, but Fuyu had already fired off again.

"How can a Sea King like you be so intelligent? You're even being considered a member of Akaiso Works!" the swordsman shouted.

"That's because I _am_ a member of Akaiso Works! Have you not realized yet? I am Mr. 5! I consumed Hachuu Hachuu no Mi, Model: Sea King! As unreasonable as it sounds, I have the ability to transform from a mere human to a creature of much power, like the one I am!" Fuyu aimed for the monster's side, but was again knocked away. "Your strength is nothing compared to the true members of Akaiso Works! Mr. 8 and Mr. 9 pairs were only a short test of your abilities. The real power is found among us members – Mr. 5 and below pairs! Out of us five pairs, Ms. Clock and I are the weakest! But if you manage to slip down the ladder to Mr. 0 himself, death is the only thing you'll end up facing!"

_Splash!_ Fuyu too ended up in the deep dark ocean, drifting down with little control of himself. 'Is this a nightmare?' he thought. 'Those punks from before were just a hindrance. They wore us out and then set us up for a stronger pair. Mr. 5, the weakest of the five. That would mean.. they're all stronger. I guess I'm out, by a reptile.'

Olvia looked back in horror as Mr. 5 dipped underwater, hunting for his prey. Ms. Clock slowly joined him while his tail sunk down. "Goodbye, Ms. Cloud Nine, haha!" she hooted.

The three crew members who took on these Akaiso Works 'devils' suffered at their might. But all was not lost – from the darkness of the ship a figure emerged beside Neko. He turned and stared in awe.

Zato Alba had entered the fray!


	8. Chapter 25: Star Crew 1 Threat

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 25

Star Crew #1 Threat

"I have a feeling that I've been sitting here for many chapters…" Neko mumbled. Zato looked puzzled. Neko immediately squirmed and shook his head. "No.. nothing. JUST RELEASE ME!!"

Zato grinned and placed one finger upon the thick ropes binding Neko. Like magic, a blue wave emitted from his body and instantly burned Neko's restrictions. Unfortunately, a small flame caught onto Neko's shirt. His reaction was.. unexpected.

Neko screamed and immediately knocked Zato aside. "Fire!! Fire!! Help me!!"

Mike finally emerged from his compartment and dived to catch Neko. The clumsy artist, on the other hand, saw the larger panther as a threat and dashed right off the ship… by 'instinct'. "Wait! NO! HELP!!" he screeched. Zato and Mike sighed and turned around. "Please!! I'll lose the rest of my PAINT!!"

Nothing could be done – Neko plummeted into the dark water as well. Right then, Evian's flare went out and the sun slowly began to rise.

Three of the crew members helpless underwater. One floating in the air, unsure of what to do. Two on deck, puzzled. And one sound asleep, with a fever that burns.

Fuyu shifted his view to the left to see Mr. 5 racing straight towards him. 'Another hit and I'm dead!' he cursed.

Inches away from Fuyu, the Sea King came to a halt. It's eyes had jerked upwards, and it seemed to be in a daze. Ms. Clock, just as confused as Fuyu, drifted off Mr. 5's back and made her way back up to the surface.

Neko opened his eyes. "I'm alive?!" he mouthed, only to have a ton of water fill up his mouth. His head turned purple and he squealed underwater, further attracting Mr. 5's attention.

What stopped the Sea King was all of Neko's paint. It leaked like squirting ketchup from his pockets and formed a cloud around him. Neko felt his cheek and inspected his finger after. What he saw wasn't paint – it was true blood.

Mr. 5 shot up then at the smell of blood and the sight of what he _thought_ was blood. "Keep it going fool! I'll have you in pieces to remove you from your misery!!"

Fuyu too realized and cursed, trying to control himself. 'He miraculously saved me _again_, but through his clumsiness… lemme try saving him!'

Neko shot up from the water and into the air, managed to give a small wave to Zato and Mike, and tumbled back down. Mr. 5 had his mouth open wide, but he was again stopped.

With what energy he had left, Fuyu dug his sword into the beast's side. To his misfortune, Mr. 5 batted him away to the bottom of the sea.

Evian, who finally was recovering from his fatal strike, caught a second glimpse of Ms. Clock – this time of her swimming to the surface. As before, he heated up with love and fired for her. Fortunately, Fuyu drifted in the way. Evian crashed right into the swordsman, and the two zipped back up in the air.

Mike was prepared and managed to catch Fuyu, saving him from a rough fall. Zato, who had poor timing, missed Evian, and the chef broke straight into the compartments.

Ms. Clock too emerged, now drenched. Olvia dipped down to catch her this time, but was suddenly put in the same state Neko had been in before. As she struggled to move through the air, she noticed Ms. Clock closing a mysterious compass.

Olvia put the pieces together. Neko fell in the slow-mo state when she shined the compass at him. She couldn't freeze Evian because he had surprised her. Ms. Clock couldn't slow her Olvia down because she was busy running. And underwater she could do nothing.

'I've heard of this case,' she thought. 'An object that emits strange powers, but is stopped by the power of the sea. The only way to find out.. is breaking my own spell!'

The cloud under Olvia condensed into liquid, and she plummeted down to the water. Mike gasped and yelled, "What's she doing?! Water will kill her! She's a Devil Fruit user!!"

Olvia was correct. Upon being immersed in the water, the time powers failed. But she failed to realize the consequence in her actions – she was drowning and couldn't swim!

Neko, on the other hand, scurried along the edge of the sandbar he now situated himself upon while Mr. 5 pursued behind, chomping at him whenever he could the opportunity. "Save me!!" he wailed. And as miserable as his situation could get, he managed to trip in the sand and fall to the ground.

A sudden ocean current pushed Olvia straight into the sandbar, and she broke free from the water while spitting salt and sand. She noticed Neko squirming and quickly stacked up a wall of clouds.

Mr. 5 took it down with ease, but making it through the continuous layers was the main challenge. In that time, Olvia managed to sweep Neko from the sandbar and lift him across the gap between the sandbar and the ship. She didn't make it, and therefore Neko plunged into the water. The Sea King dived back down to get a good bite out of him.

_Whoosh! Flink! Whirl!_ A miracle occurred, and Tohru hurled a net of shuriken upon the Sea King, instantly immobilizing Mr. 5. She dived into the water and, with quite some elemental force, sent her windmill shuriken spiraling around the creature.

The consistent spinning motion generated a powerful whirlpool. Mr. 5 succumbed upon realizing he couldn't stop himself, and ended up flying out of the center in his normal human form. "Damn! How… so fast?!"

Mike was now positioned directly above him in his massive form, his fist already thrown forward. "Take this!!"

_Wham!_ Mr. 5 soared back into the water and, unfortunately, having the devil's power, simply drowned in the water.

\/\/-\/\/

Ms. Clock opened her compass once again, aiming the bearing directly at Shooting Star. "I could easily leave them to die, drifting off into the Calm Belt!"

Unfortunately, before she could shoot a Time Wave, she was tackled by a number of clouds. The compass slipped from her hands and shattered in mid air, causing her to scream. "What?! No! Only… nobody's found out my compass's secrets!"

It was too late. The pressure of the clouds eventually left her to suffocate, and soon carried her over to the sandbar.

\/\/-\/\/

A large ship sailed by, nosing into the small piece of land. Mr. 1 stood firm while he stared at the miserable figure tied up. A thick piece of tape covered her mouth, and upon it, the words WE PWN YOU! STAR PIRATES scribbled on it.

Mr. 1's eyes sharpened. A cloud of dark matter formed in his hand and materialized into a dark purple Den Den Mushi. "Sir Akaiso, we've come across a problem. A group of pirates have challenged our organization. They have eliminated three pairs as of this point, and they are heading for the northern island. Who are they? The Star Pirates, and among them is our very own target – Mr. 10. Mr. 1 report, end."

He clicked the button on the communication device and looked down at Ms. Clock once more. Mr. 5 and her shattered compass could be made out under the mounds of sand. Mr. 1 reached his hand out and swept it. A wave of dark matter quickly enveloped the sandbar and left it to nothing.


	9. Chapter 26: Impossible Adrift!

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Day 12: Yesterday was spent recovering from our battle. We soon set out again, hoping it would be some time before we crossed paths with another pair of marksmen._

_All went well… until our ship seemed to be motionless._

Chapter 26

Impossible Adrift!

Swept Across a Belt, to the Island of Marksmen!

Tohru rushed from end to end of the ship. The rest of the crew jostled to different sentries and viewed their surroundings.

Nothing seemed different. It was the vast sea all around them. Olvia was quick to realize, and she let out a quick scream. "We're in a Calm Belt!!" she cried.

Tohru's eyes widened, and she felt weak. "Crud! No winds, no currents. We're gonna have to paddle back quickly!" No response came, and she turned around to fall in shock.

Zato quivered with fear and signaled his crew to be silent. That however, was impossible for Neko, Olvia, and Tohru, especially at the sight of six monstrous Sea Kings towering their ship.

So they all screamed even louder, in chorus, and stimulated the beasts. "ONE WAS ENOUGH!!" Neko yelped. He made a dart for the kitchen but was sent flying into the wall by the force of the tallest Sea King's gust.

Zato kicked off the ground and went straight for the creatures, but was simply whacked back to the deck by a sharp tail that suddenly shot out from the water. "Zato, it's no use! We couldn't fight them all at once!" Evian shouted.

Fuyu and Zato saw no other option than facing the terrorists, even after being beat down over and over. Finally one lunged its head down to slam into the ship.

_Boom!_ Out of nowhere, an explosive hit between the Sea Kings. While they were distracted by the smoke and noise, a jetski zipped by the ship. The tale boy riding it waved to Zato, signaling him to be prepared.

He took the crew by surprise, and the ship nearly toppled over. Zato noticed that the male had connected the two vessels with a thick wire, and the force of the jetski was enough to haul the ship through the windless strip of the sea.

They shot out of the Calm Belt with ease, the Sea Kings unable to keep up.

The Shooting Star glided through the ocean and soon caught up with the boy. Zato waved at him to grab his attention, hoping he would slow down and talk to them. "Oye! Tell us who you are!"

He grinned and immediately responded by kicking his vehicle into the air and skidding onto the deck. "My name is Nick Anarion, and I am part of the Kisho Distress Squad. Our main task is to assist those stuck in the Calm Belt."

From a distance, two cloaked figures watched while standing upon a raised stone. Mr. 1 and Mr. 2 had also caught up with the Star Pirates! "Remember, Mr. 2," said Mr. 1. "We aren't to kill them, only capture. For that reason, I'll do the main job Akaiso gave us."

Mr. 2 gave him a dirty look and ignored his current partner's words. However, before he could move anywhere, Mr. 1's dark magic caught hold of him. "I could kill you if I wanted. Listening would be my good advice, Diz."

The two disappeared as the darkness enveloped them.

\/\/-\/\/

And immediately, chaos struck Shooting Star. A dark aura appeared around it, causing the eight aboard to become quite worried. "Mister Kisho Manager," Neko mumbled, and Nick quickly corrected him. "Is this... natural?"

Nick shook his head, and he was thankful for doing so. A dagger flew right by him at that moment, missing him only because he moved. "Holy…!" he cried, only to be tackled all of a sudden.

Mr. 1's hand was glowing with the same dark aura, and he nearly jabbed Nick in the face when Mike became a full panther and leapt. His claws were able to dig and push Mr. 1 back a bit, at least away from Nick. The horrific part was when Mr. 1's hand burned a hole straight in the deck, and the dark blue flames started to spread.

Fuyu came down from above with a full swing of the sword, catching Mr. 1 by the cloak just before he could escape. The cloth glowed purple and suddenly the flames caught upon Fuyu's sword as well. He held it for a bit as if nothing happened, but finally dropped it and roared with pain. The heat was incredible.

Mr. 1 raised his arms and opened his hands, facing his palms directly at both Neko and Zato. "Let this be a quick finish! _Death Wave_!" He nearly flew back from the impact of the blast, as it released so much energy that the entire side of the deck had burned off. Zato dived into Neko's way and absorbed the full shot, suffering severe wounds in the process.

"Zato!" Neko cried. But he realized, despite the captain bleeding and steaming, he still grinned.

"You must be from Akaiso Works. SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR LEADER!" he roared, releasing everything at once. Mr. 1's eyes bulged at the sight of his own devastating wave of darkness rushing towards him.

The opposite side of the deck also burned off, leaving the ship with two massive carvings in the sides. Zato grinned once again before suddenly collapsing. Mike rushed to his side and checked his condition. His paws went on the captain's neck, feeling for a pulse. "His heart's beating.. slower than normal though. He's fine. Just needs rest. That guy's mysterious power really weakened Zato."

The crew gave synchronized sighs of relief. Nick looked back around the ship, noticing that the dark aura was slowly disappearing. However, that all was explained – everything swept to a location some few yards from the ship and stacked up. Mr. 1 was at the very top. "You thought your captain could finish me so quickly? I'm not done yet! My whole objective was to capture you! So face it – DEATH IS WHAT AWAITS!!"

Nick noticed what Mr. 1 was doing and cursed. "He's gonna suck the whole ship into his dark stuff!!"

It was too late. The ship began to move at a quick speed towards Mr. 1, who pulled it like a leash. "Face imprisonment!"

_Slash!_ Fuyu had completely caught him by surprise. Sneaking up from behind, the swordsman managed to slice off Mr. 1's entire right arm, bringing the whole setup to a failure. Mr. 1 screamed in agony and watched as Fuyu waded back to the ship. "I'll take the whole ship with a whole wave!!"  
Nick gasped and felt himself being pulled in Mr. 1's direction. Zato fired energy spheres from his palms, hoping they would repel the dark matter, but it was no use.

When suddenly, Nick's jetski flew from his reach. Mr. 1 cursed before being hit straight in the head. Unfortunately – sacrifice of the cool tool.

The darkness slowly eased, and Mr. 1 sank into a rift in the space. "You pirates are more than I expected. But I won't leave with nothing! My arm has been taken, so I'll get something back for equal with what strength I have left!"

He flung a whip from his hand that reached all the way out to the ship. The seven aboard (excluding Fuyu) screamed and backed up.

Mike was the victim, and he sprung from the deck wailing all at once. "This will do for now," Mr. 1 mumbled.

Zato's eyes widened with horror, but it was too late. Everything had rushed so fast! "MIKE!!" he suddenly screamed.

It was no use. Mr. 1 had gone.

\/\/-\/\/

Shooting Star slowly sailed into the harbor, and Nick stepped off the grim ship to meet with the natives, his own people. "Sharpshooter Island welcomes you," an old man whispered, shaking Zato's limp hand.

They stepped into the foreign land, with new allies, but they had lost a comrade. Zato shook his head and brought his hand to it. "May I rest…?"

The crew sat around a fire that night in utter silence, right outside the cabin Zato rested in.

'Akaiso…' Zato thought for a moment. 'I'll kill you!'

\/\/-\/\/

His two weak eyes finally opened after what seemed to be an endless nightmare. Sniffing for a moment, he suddenly realized he was chained up.

Mike gasped and looked around. He was surrounded by eternal haze, similar to the dark purple aura Mr. 1 created.

All of a sudden, he felt a sharp crack upon his face and drew blood. Two large figures now stood in front of him.

"Thank you, Karo Migotsu. You may go," Akaiso hissed.

"Yes, Lord Akaiso," responded Mr. 1.

Mike was baffled and immediately tried breaking free. "AKAISO! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO…"

Akaiso beat him again, this time with a large staff. "Insolent beast. I never thought you would have that talent, but I'll hammer this into your head - speak when I tell you to speak, otherwise remain silent! Now, tell me things about your pirate crew!"

Mike struggled and soon found it no use. His shackles were made of seastone, and therefore his transformation was wearing off. "Damn you! You wanna hear about Zato and them, so you can go ambush them again with your servants! But you stand no chance!"

_Wham!_ Mike felt his head busting open, and he finally shut up. "Migotsu, you could've picked a much more worthwhile member. I see this pathetic pet as no use. Kill him and leave him here in this dark world to rot!"

Mr. 1 soon teleported back with an impatient look on his face. "Yes, Lord Akaiso."

A larger rift opened up in the dimension, and the two began to exit. Suddenly, despite his severe wounds… "I'll never forgive you for what you did to Warren," Mike gritted. Akaiso stopped in his step and spun around, his eyes bulging.

He charged at the panther and nearly delivered the finishing blow, when the seastone's power finished Mike's devil fruit. Transforming back into a cat allowed him to duck from the massive attack.

"You said that name? Who are you, stupid kitten?!" Akaiso roared.

"I am the mere 'kitten' you tormented aboard Warren's ship, just before you took him away!"

Akaiso grinned and hooted with laughter. "To think that, of all those aboard that ship, it was a stupid cat that survived! Aha! You make me laugh. But you were in the papers. Surprisingly, you had a bounty. And now that you're part of Zato's crew, your bounty must've risen! I got money for your kill, but if you didn't die, then you must be worth more! It may be complicated, but I can get money anyways for your body. A rare cat you are. I'll use you for many things, like _luring my current threat_ – Captain Zato Alba!"

Akaiso slammed his head once more before leaving the dimension. "Be glad that you said that. More misery will come for this world!"


	10. Chapter 27: Akaiso's Last Test

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Day 1__3: A day of depression. Zato finally emerged from his realm, ready to make plans. We all gathered, including our new friend Nick, to discuss our plan of action!_

Chapter 27

Stars Speak!

Akaiso's Last Test

Everyone held a flower in their hand, shown as respect for their lost comrade.

"Mike has been taken," Zato whispered at first. He had the full attention of his crew. "And Akaiso is not through. He's just started."

Fuyu nodded and took over. "His plans are unknown to us. It would be good if we could discover more about them."

Neko, while sniffing local herbs, suddenly piped in. "Oh haha, how hilarious. It's simple! He wants full control over the Kisho Sea so he can capture all pirates, trade, people, whoever coming in. Then he'll create the Kisho Empire and become stronger than even the government. He's starting with the northern island, and he figures that if he takes over that kingdom.. yeah. Plus the govenrment's with him, he's a Shichibukai so we stand no chance!"

Every single person gathered around dropped their flowers, and their jaws dropped down, eyes bulging, filled with perplexity. "Eh?! How do you know?!" Tohru cried.

Thinking he missed chorus, Neko also dropped his flower and herbs. "How do I know? Well, I used to be Mr. 10 in Akaiso Works, one of his followers, then I betrayed and…"

A large shadow had already fallen upon Neko. Zato, Fuyu, Evian, and Nick glared down at him, causing him to cower beneath. "Er… guys…"

"Neko, why didn't you say this all before?"

Neko grinned and replied, "Because you didn't ask! Haha… Um… guys… funny.. joke.. PLEASE!!"

The island residents could hear screamings from the lodges over by the forest, including: "Block Block PUNISHMENT!" "Death Swipe!" "BAKA BAKA BAKA! EHHH!!" and "Spare me!!"

All but Olvia engaged in screaming and further violence. She reached for the herbs Neko dropped and inspected them carefully. "Hm…"

\/\/-\/\/

Dropping the humor, four hooded figures assembled at the opposite coast. The tallest rolled open a scroll and released a puff of smoke. Emerging from the haziness was a large vulture. "Is that all you can do, Mr. 6?" the first female chuckled.

Removing her cloak, she exposed a turquoise outfit with a number of blue gadgets attached. Here was Ms. Dawnflame, the Master of Mystic Fire! She was one member in Akaiso Works to be avoided at all costs – her reputation was deadly.

The tall man also removed his cloak. "That's not all I can do. This vulture is just a means of distraction of course. My mirages occupy everyone's minds, while they don't see the reality of Akaiso's army arriving!" This was Mr. 6, the Master of Mirages.

The last two uncovered themselves. Mr. 7 was the buff man dressed up as a general, for that was him! Ms. Guantlet, on the other hand, held numerous blades stashed in leather sheets. She was the best sword bearer in Akaiso Works.

"The army is set?" Mr. 6 asked Mr. 7.

"Only if the mirages will work us through!" he replied.

All but Mr. 7 flickered away as hundreds of soldiers marched down the coastline under his command.

\/\/-\/\/

Nick faced his angry leader. "Nikhil Anarion," the man whispered at first. Then, suddenly throwing his voice up many decibels, he roared, "We entrusted you with the special jetski, yet you had it destroyed on a regular mission?!"

He immediately shot back. "Blame it on Akaiso Works for that!!"

The choleric man took a deep breath and then exploded once more. "I've told you a NUMBER of times, Nick! Akaiso is a Shichibukai! He serves the World Government, as do we!! Akaiso Works is a mere hoax!!"

Nick cursed and turned around. "Damn.. how can I prove it?!"

A loud shriek stimulated everyone in the office, and they darted out at once. Nick took a step outside but was nearly nailed by Zato soaring by. The streets were flooded with strange soldiers, each carrying muskets with bayonets attached to the ends. "What's going on?!" the leader cried. Nick pushed him back to avoid being hit by a bullet zipping by.

Fuyu continuously popped up in random locations to bring down the mass of Akaiso's soldiers. "Damn, there's so many!!"

"Kreeee!!" went a sudden screech. Everyone screamed at the sight of large vultures soaring above.

Mr. 7 seized this opportunity and commanded his soldiers to charge. Opposing him, Tohru took the lead and brought out her fully attached rod. She whirled it with elegance and somehow began blowing rapid gusts at Akaiso's army. "A combination of the Windmill Shuriken, attached at each end of my classic rod, really does make me a lot stronger than before!"

The vultures finally came down and continued spreading their terror among the townspeople. Nick reacted quickly by grabbing his rifle and aiming for the nearest. A loud roar came from the gunfire, though no affect was taken upon the vultures.

Zato came soaring back and slammed into another line of soldiers. "They're endless!" Mr. 7 dived towards him, managing to grab his foot in time.

All the while, two sneaky figures slipped past the town. Nick pulled down his sniper goggles and made out Mr. 6 and Ms. Dawnflame moving into a warehouse. Abandoning his post, he darted away from the scene and made for the two plotters, the Star Pirates continued their fight.

\/\/-\/\/

"Quickly, Ms. Dawnflame. Light the bomb and let Sharpshooter Island perish!" Mr. 6 chuckled. From his body dangled a number of open scrolls, and his dexterous fingers controlled the summonings of his mirages.

Ms. Dawnflame spread wide her coat and let it fall, revealing her gadget suit. She moved towards the large sphere at the center of the room and waved her hand slowly above the heat absorbent portion.

A blue flame was lit upon the sphere, and immediately lights began to shine from it. A timer flashed on the front side, showing the numbers 5:00. "Alright, let's get everything we need!" Mr. 6 hissed. The two split up and rummaged through the stashings in the warehouse, tossing everything of value into their large sacks.

_Boom!_ An explosion occurred to Mr. 6's side, completely startling him and even dropping a few of the scrolls he possessed. Nick had appeared at the door, having made a successful warning shot. "Akaiso Works, you actually thought you could steal all our goods?"

Ms. Dawnflame was not interested in words, as she instantly disapparated into blue flames. The next second, Nick felt immense heat behind him and leapt forward before she could burn him. "So you move around by letting the fire dissolve into the air, huh?" Nick asked. Mr. 6 too ignored his words and charged. Before Nick could fire, the man had his hand over the gun, preventing him from aiming it properly.

Nick was thrown back into the wall and completely disarmed of his weapon while Ms. Dawnflame approached from the side. He groaned before being burned alive by the blue flames that now enveloped him. "That did it," Ms. Dawnflame grinned. "He's done for, even if he lives. He'll be dead sooner or later. Damn him, he wasted precious seconds!"

The pair continued looting valuables while Nick watched in pain. "Damn, already down. Gotta fight it. Assholes!" The two looked up from what they were doing, as if annoyed.

"I got him this time, Ms. Dawnflame," said Mr. 6. He twitched his fingers once more, sending a multitude of zombie mirages soaring towards Nick. "Shit!" the sniper cried. They whirled around him demonically, swiping, slashing, attacking him in all ways.

"Nightmare… break me free from this nightmare…" Nick moaned, only to realize the truth. 'I fired at those vultures, and it failed. This _is_ a nightmare! None of this is real! The greatest fear is fear itself! That's where the pain is coming from!!"

Mr. 6 looked up again, now enraged. "Can't he shutup and just die?" Instead, Nick tore off the wall and charged straight towards the Mirage Man.

"Mr. 6!" Ms. Dawnflame screamed, though she was too far to do anything.

"You coward! You can't do anything!" Nick roared, throwing his fist forward. "So lemme show you that I'm more than just a sniper!"

_WHAM!_ Mr. 6 was thrown backwards across the warehouse with a bloodied face. "Ugh.." he moaned from the true pain. "He outwitted me.."

"Don't think I'm done right there!" Nick shouted, grasping hold of his rifle. "You deserve death for robbing the innocent!"

Ms. Dawnflame watched in horror as her partner suffered, and his scrolls incinerated from each shot. After the bloodshed, his weak voice croaked out, "Ms. Dawnflame, get the bomb, outside, detonate… before it's too late!"

Nick turned to see Ms. Dawnflame rolling the sphere towards the exit of the warehouse. The timer was blinking quickly – 0:10! 0:09!...

"Shit! A bomb that they're gonna blow outside! Not gonna happen!!" Nick yelped, firing at the flame just in time.

_BOOM!_ The fighting in the town immediately came to a close. Everyone turned to see waves of debris flying towards them. "A bomb?!" Tohru screamed as she was lifted into the air. Olvia caught her in time with a cloud and brought her into a small cloud fortress she had formed. "Kumo Kumo Wall!"

Zato, Fuyu, Neko, and Evian held their ground beside a building, avoiding the strong winds and demolition rushing through. The vultures in the sky slowly began to fade away.

"What happened?" asked Zato.

"They weren't real," Evian chuckled. "Must've been mirages. I figured it out when our sniper friend shot right through one."

They all looked around, unsure of where Nick had gotten to.

\/\/-\/\/

Ms. Gauntlet looked around. The soldiers of Akaiso's army had landed in mounds of ashes. Many were dead, some moaned with pain, a few managed to get up. "Damn," she cried. "Mr. 6 was supposed to wait.. the whole five minutes. Why did the bomb go early?!"

Mr. 7 lay to her side near death from the impact. Suddenly, she saw the soldiers start to surround her. "Ms. Gauntlet," one said. "Bomb? It seems as though you had set a bomb, but not informed us of it."

Another piped in quickly. "Of course she would've escaped. But something must've gone wrong. You were going to leave us here to die from the bomb."

They began to close in, frightening Ms. Gauntlet very much. One came right above the suffering Mr. 7 and dug his bayonet straight through Mr. 7's head. "We won't look up to you very much if your plans are to sacrifice us meaninglessly."

Ms. Gauntlet immediately armed herself and hacked through the crowd of soldiers from all sides. Blood spurt into the air, and Fuyu sensed it from a distance.

The five of the Star Pirates and Neko raced to the new scene, only to find Ms. Gauntlet standing above a stack of corpses. Her massive swords were stained with blood. "I don't know what you did, but our plans have been completely massacred. As you just saw, I'm no easy win for you. I have defeated Mr. 2 in a duel with my accuracy and precision."

Fuyu stepped forth, interested in her challenge. "Then let us fight right here, right now." She flickered away and appeared at his side a second later, her sword quickly breezing in. Fuyu ducked backwards in a cartwheel and kicked her left handed weapon into the air. Ms. Gauntlet responded by bringing her right sword right into Fuyu's back.

"Aarrgh!!" he roared in pain, collapsing to the ground. She had made a perfect strike and taken down Fuyu.

_Whoosh!_ A bullet whizzed past Zato's ear and went straight through Ms. Gauntlet's sword. "What?!"

Nick had shot from the distant tower and hit his mark. He continued firing, and Ms. Gauntlet scrambled to dodge. When the impact occurred at her heel, she screamed and fell to the ground beside Fuyu.

Flames began to sprout beside her, and Ms. Dawnflame apparated in. The Star Pirates gasped, and Neko squirmed. "Mr. 10 the traitor. But the Star Pirates have meddled enough. Come to the northern kingdom, I dare you," Ms. Dawnflame hissed. She turned to Nick. "As for you, Mr. 6 died from the bomb. Me, I escaped. You may see us again, and we will destroy you then. Come, Ms. Gauntlet!" The two disappeared in flames before Nick could kill them with a bomb projectile.

Zato turned to Neko, finally realizing things. "Akaiso is our next stop. Neko, I've decided we'll defeat him. You betrayed Akaiso, right?"

"Mhm," said Neko. "I discovered the horrifying part of his plan. He was using everyone in his organization, then he'd leave them all to die. He wants to eventually overthrow the government, but along the way he'd ditch us. He's done horrible things. And he plans to do more. I want to stop him and his organization before he takes over the northern kingdom!"

Zato grinned. "It's set, let's set sail for Hoku no Fuyu Island!!"

"Hold it right there pirates!" the leader yelled. They turned and saw the townspeople gathered behind. "We have discovered the truth of Akaiso and shall let it out to everyone. Please take my son, Nikhil Anarion, with you. He too wishes to partake in this battle!"

Nick faced the leader. "Thanks, Dad. Thank you for understanding."

They boarded Shooting Star, and fired out into the sea. "Akaiso, here we come!" Zato roared.

**--**

**Rushed that chapter. Trying to get to the Hoku no Fuyu "arc".**

**Read, enjoy, and review!**


	11. Chapter 28: Kingdom in Peril

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

_Day 1__5: Here we go! We rested for one day after leaving Sharpshooter Island, then made for the northern kingdom! It's time we kicked Akaiso's butt! As soon as we sailed into Hoku no Fuyu Island…_

Chapter 28

Kingdom in Peril

"Lord of the Lands, Master of the Ice, our very own Mr. 0 of the Works. Many have fallen in battle up to this point. Our very own enemies have challenged us. Now, I shall allow our leader, Mr. 0 Kniex 'Storm' Akaiso to take over." Mr. 1 sat down.

They were in a large office room, positioned at a corner of the large castle sitting upon a plateau in the snowy region. Surrounding the plateau were hundreds of smaller buildings, including markets, houses, and much more. The entire circle was known as the Frona Kingdom.

"Being a Shichibukai," Akaiso started. "I have much power throughout the world. I have been nothing but a casino owner up to this point – Frona Kingdom was a beautiful place for me to settle many years before. The Queen, oh how gorgeous she is. She granted me a portion of the kingdom to lead.

"Of course, Crocodile came here years before to speak, and he discovered my organization. He took my idea to the Grand Line at the kingdom of Alabasta, and was destroyed by his avarice for wealth and the Poneglyphs. A boy named Monkey D. Luffy took him down, and the government covered up the case.

"Now, on his way to the Frona Kingdom, a group of pirates similar to the Straw Hats in the Grand Line has challenged me. Zato D. Alba and his crew of Star Pirates. I wouldn't underestimate them, we already have and they took out many of our agents. Mr. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 pairs have all fallen.

"And lastly, the traitor Mr. 10 has allied with these pirates, making them our number one threat. As soon as they reach Hoku no Fuyu island, guide Zato D. Alba and Neko Panora to me. I have a particular interest in those two. The rest are for you to take care. Now, split up!" Akaiso shouted. The entire group nodded and moved about.

Mr. 1 and Mr. 2 stayed at Akaiso's side. "Remember the prisoner. Keep him as bait. I have sent a message to Akainu, and hopefully he will arrive to take care of everything I missed."

The door suddenly opened, and a new figure stood there. "Akaiso, of course you waited for me to have the meeting," she muttered sarcastically.

Akaiso grinned and responded, "Ah, my lovely Commander of Cynicism. It's amazing that you decided to come for the special occasion. Today is the day I took complete control of Frona Kingdom! Celebrate it with me, Mimi!"

Mimi Reishouteki Akaiso glared at him disgustingly.

\/\/-\/\/

The Star Pirates pulled into the foggy port. The mist concealed whatever lay ahead for them. "Akaiso owns a portion of the Frona Kingdom. He plans to take the full thing some time soon. It may be today," said Neko. "So beware. Some of the people will be the good citizens. But there's always his real five agents – Mr. 1 up to Mr. 4 pairs who will be loitering around, maybe in disguise. Akaiso's major hideout is a few miles down the road from the kingdom. It's a nice building, comforting. But truly that's his hideout, underneath it. Beware of everything. I think we should stick together."

Tohru kept hitting her head. "Anything else ya gotta say before we go kick his asss?"

Neko thought for a moment while looking past the pirates. "Hm… oh wait! This is important!"

The crew leaned ahead, interested in what he was going to say. Instead, Neko pointed past them playfully saying, "That's a cool ship!"

_Smack! Whack! Smaack!_ Neko lay on the deck beaten up once more, this time all by Evian. Tohru looked at the ship and then turned to Evian. "Baka! He was smart for noting that!" This time, Evian took the severe beating while Tohru yanked Neko off the floor. "Ignore Evian. Zato! That's Yoyma! Remember Mimi's ship!"

Zato grinned. "Meaning she's already here. She'll definitely ally with us. Alright, let's go!"

The five pirates along with Nick jumped from the deck and landed smoothly in front of the grand Frona Kingdom. Neko remained on deck and kept staring at Yoyma. "Mimi.. Mimi.. that name… no way!! Guys!" he suddenly cried.

He was too late – the crew had already made its way into Akaiso's nest! "Wait!" he cried once more. Then, he felt his feet freezing. He looked down and saw snow forming on it. "What?!"

"Neko Panora, or as we should call you, Mr. 10," Mr. 4 cackled. "I'm surprised you made it this far. Now it's time we took you to Akaiso!"

"HEEELLPPPP!!" Neko screamed in time.

Luckily, Fuyu heard. "What the.. Neko's in trouble guys!"

Zato turned and saw two figures in the foggy distance. "We can't all go! I can already see crowds gathering under the plateau! Something big's happening!... Fuyu, Tohru, Evian, Olvia, Nick! Rescue Neko, stop Akaiso's agents! I'm going to the kingdom!"

None of them were happy by his new order. "Zato… we can't do that."

"GO!" Zato suddenly exploded. The captain's true anger was released. "Get Neko back! I'm the captain of this crew!"

They all put disappointed looks before nodding and rushing for Neko.

\/\/-\/\/

"My people, please. I will assure you that none of it… it is a scam. Just a lie. Do not believe it. Do not take it for real!" said Queen Nora to the crowds. "I have even requested Akaiso to show up here and speak the truth!"

The rioting crowds below were not convinced. Many held the flyer that sparked their rage. The section of the newspaper published by Akaiso stated:

FOR NOW IT IS ONLY THIS, MY PEOPLE. I AM THE NEW RULER OF FRONA KINGDOM. I AM THE POWERFUL SHICHIBUKAI. THOSE WHO OPPOSE WILL FACE DEATH. QUEEN NORA WILL SUFFER IN FRONT OF YOU, THE DAY I TAKE PLACE AS THE NEW KING! NONE WILL BE SPARED, ALL WILL SUFFER UNDER MY RULE.

Zato had managed to get his hands on the article and gasped. A little later, he found himself stuck in the growing crowds.

Finally, Akaiso appeared at the balcony of the castle. "My people," he chuckled. "You read the message in the newspaper, am I not right?"

A loud response came back. "Ah. Horrible it is. Horrible for you to read. Of course, I wouldn't say something like that would I? No.. I wouldn't!"

The crowds finally sighed, calmed upon finally knowing that the kingdom was safe. But to break their moment, Akaiso continued. "I wouldn't publish it! I would tell you, right here on the balcony!! From this point on, you are all my servants! AND I AM THE NEW KING!!"

The crowd became silent. Zato clenched his fists in rage and exploded first. "Kniex 'Storm' Akaiso!!" he roared, catching the Shichibukai's attention.

"Who's that little pest down there?" he muttered. "What is it? A boy like you? I wouldn't expect you to be the first to yell."

"You probably don't know me, but I'm the captain of the Star Pirates. I'm Zato D. Alba, and I've come, to kill you and your Akaiso Works!!"

Loud gasps spread through the crowds, and Akaiso became tense. "Zato… Alba? The pirates have come??"

_Clank!_ The kingdom guards had attacked from behind. "Sir Akaiso, this had better be a joke. We're sentencing you to prison for this stuff."

_Froosh!_ The two were instantly frozen, and the citizens watched weakly as Akaiso released his anger as well. "You're the one who's been opposing me all along!? Well it's time I took you out quickly!!"

Akaiso produced his menacing weapon, a large blue staff in the shape of a trident. "This is the staff of water and ice! This is why I am a powerful Shichibukai! Let me demonstrate my power…"

_Ring Ring! Ring Ring!_ The Den Den Mushi in his pocket began to buzz, stopping Akaiso before he froze the entire body of people down below. "Mr. 0 Sir Akaiso! This is Mr. 4! It's urgent! Very urgent! We brought the traitor, Mr. 10 to the base. But we were pursued by.. pirates! The Star Pirates are attacking our hideout! Akaiso Works is in danger! They're not to be underestimated – Fuyu Sashimi has already slain Mr. 11 and Ms. Dawnflame! They blew down the massive doors, and the short girl, she started a huge galestorm in here!"

The crowd and the queen who was approaching all heard this. Zato grinned for a moment, realizing that his crew had succeeded. "I knew I could trust you guys."

Akaiso shook with rage and cracked the Den Den Mushi in his hand, cutting off Mr. 4. "Zato Alba. You have opposed me this much? I'll deal with you and the rest of the kingdom later. It seems that my works is starting to fail me. Farewell for now. Next time we meet, don't expect me to shed mercy!"

Right there, ice froze around Akaiso and then began to melt. He had gone already. Zato watched as if expecting it to happen, though he remained calm. The people around him, however, did not. "That Akaiso. And the kingdom. They've betrayed us. Queen Nora knows of this, of course she does!" one civilian said. Zato got a good look at him and noticed that he was unlike the others – he had a perfidious look upon his face with a cruel snarl. "I won't stand by to letting the kingdom take us down. Who's with me?! Who will fight to oust the Queen?!"

It was silent at first, but many civilians were encouraged into roaring with him. "Bring down Frona Kingdom!" the whole mass eventually began chanting.

Queen Nora watched from above in fear. "What is going on? This…"

She was cut off by another female behind her. "It's all a part of Akaiso's plan. He doesn't want any part of it to go wron. Many of Akaiso's own army have been inserted into the crowd. Akaiso wishes to bring about true madness to the whole kingdom, and he will arrive to rescue everyone. Right now, they think you support him, and that you are simply letting things go. They wouldn't want a leader like you. But I'm here to help you."

Queen Nora spun around to see Mimi charging at her. "No!" she cried, but it was too late.

"Do not worry one bit. You don't need to face any pain. You don't have to face the crowds who wish to kill you. I'll finish it quick right here!"

**--**

**With the kingdom in chaos, things shift towards Akaiso's hideout.**

**Read, enjoy, and review!**


	12. Chapter 29: Star Pirates Fall

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 29

The Star Pirates Fall

"Ms. Mothercracker!" Mr. 4 shrieked. "Get out of the way!" Mr. 11's partner saw her doom too late – Fuyu sliced right through her. "These pirates never quit! Take this Mr. Sashimi, _Snowball Flurry_!" Fuyu dodged the attack mockingly, but when they collided with the wall, a large explosion occurred behind Fuyu, teaching him not to underestimate Mr. 4.

Mr. 4's partner, Ms. Ice Shard, shot out from the air vents above and swung an icicle at Fuyu. He blocked it with his sword and pushed her back a bit. Noticing the sharp end, he commented, "So that's your weapon? An icicle. Creative, let's see just how well you use it!"

At a separate section of the hideout, Tohru and Olvia made a tag team effort to wipe out Mr. 12, his partner Ms. Holy Milk, and a number of soldiers serving Akaiso. At another section, Nick and Evian blasted through walls while pursuing Mr. 3 and his large partner Ms. Gourmet. They stumbled into the same room as Tohru and Olvia. "Nice to see ya here," Evian grinned.

Olvia stared at Ms. Holy Milk with a puzzled look upon her face. "Why is it Ms. Holy Milk? What does she do?"

"She.. makes milk," sighed Mr. 12. "Heheh, don't all women?" Evian responded.

Tohru's eyes bulged and she exploded. "EHHH baka fag!! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Nick and Olvia watched silently as she beat the living shit out of him.

"Tohru!! Please, it's a laughing matter, OUCH!! We are.. OW.. on the same… OWIEE.. team!!" Evian cried.

Mr. 12 made an attempt to attack, but Nick had already fired and sent him soaring back. Ms. Holy Milk too charged, but Tohru threw Evian right at her, taking her out as he fell on her. The three (leaving Evian behind) continued to the next room where they were nearly sliced in half by Fuyu. "Watch it!" he roared, turning back and lunging for Ms. Ice Shard. Tohru looked up and shrieked, alerting Nick in time.

The sniper knocked Olvia and Tohru back and took the bombardment of snowballs directly. The explosives immediately wiped him out. Tohru equipped herself with her rod and jumped into the air. "Wind Release, Shuriken Dance!" Mr. 4 leapt back to dodge first wave of shuriken, but he did not notice Tohru gliding through the air at rapid speed right at him. She jabbed her rod right into his stomach. Unfortunately, the fake body melted down into a puddle of water. The real Mr. 4 began to escape with Ms. Ice Shard.

That's when the path in front of them lit up brilliantly. Evian appeared in the flash and waved his staff. "Haha! You thought you could escape my wrath?"

Tohru knocked him aside into the wall and spun her rod rapidly. The shuriken attached to the ends spiraled at the same time and began a massive gale through the hallways. The wind was so strong and fast that it slashed through their bodies, leaving marks and cuts among Mr. 4 and Ms. Ice Shard. "Defeated.. so quick?" Mr. 4 moaned.

Fuyu stepped to Tohru's side with a grin and commented, "You've improved a lot recently."

There was no more time for chatting – the gusts reversed and came back at Tohru, Olvia, Nick, Evian, and Fuyu. A mass of frost began to form above Mr. 4 and Ms. Ice Shard. They looked up with high hopes and cheered when Akaiso materialized into the scene. The five protagonists watched with fear as the new intimidating foe appeared. "I watched that fight. To have taken out Mr. 4 pair so easily, it shows that you are a tough team. But how strong can you get? Can you stand up against the man who formed Akaiso Works? Let's see you take me, Sir Akaiso!!"

Fuyu surprisingly did not hesitate. "_Soru no Nitoryu!_" He zipped behind Akaiso with _soru_ and brought both his blades at once. Suddenly, in a flash, everything had turned. Akaiso was now facing Fuyu, and both the swords were frozen. "Wha.!!" Fuyu cried. Akaiso then simply flicked his finger, and Fuyu flew back into the wall.

"Fuyu Sashimi, you are swift. But it will not work against me. See this!" Akaiso produced a large staff similar to Evian's. "This is the staff of the element water. Ice specifically can be formed. By mastering the use of an elemental staff, one can surely become the strongest."

Akaiso turned to Evian. Evian froze in fear and stepped back. "You…" Akaiso muttered. "A familiar face.. I've seen it somewhere."

Evian remained horror-struck as Akaiso began to divulge his identity. "Ranpu… Yuushitsu?! YOU LIVE??" Akaiso roared. He was filled with rage.

Evian turned pale and slowly shook his head. "No… I… I am… Ev… Evian… Ja.. Jacques.."

Tohru seemed puzzled and looked at Evian. "What's going on?"

"Ranpu Yuushitsu was the 'Lightning Thief', a scoundrel years before who created the Lightning Empire at the end of West Range Blue. I destroyed him back then with the help of pirates. This fool has the exact face of Ranpu.. how is this?"

All of the Star Pirates held their hands forward and nodded. "Please take him, we don't want him."

"Aiyeeh!! What are you saying?!" Evian sobbed. "He's our enemy! I am your ally!"

"To be siding with Ranpu, you surely as big threats as he is!" Akaiso produced a Golden Den Den Mushi and immediately clicked the button. Everyone in the room screamed, even Mr. 4 and Ms. Ice Shard.

"Sir Akaiso! You just.. evoked the Buster Call?! On these pirates?! Was it necessary?!" Mr. 4 screamed.

Akaiso glared at Evian and stepped forth. "Ranpu the Lightning Thief; Alba D. Zato and Fuyu Sashimi, the idiots who challenged the government; and Mike Jinsoku, a comrade of pirate Warren. Four people who are major threats are all in the same building. Besides, I will rebuild my kingdom here. The kingdom must perish anyways. Akainu will arrive soon. I'll tend to you pirates later. I have to take care of our little traitor Mr. 10."

Akaiso began to slowly disappear in the air. Fuyu cursed but failed to get up in time. Tohru felt lost and destroyed. "Mike… he has Mike!! And Akainu will come!! We're screwed!!"

**--**

**Amidst all the confusion, Akaiso arrives in a large, dark, locked up room. There, waiting for him and already free from his bindings, Neko has prepared for a true battle.**

**Next chapter – Mr. 0 vs Mr. 10**

**Read, enjoy, review!**


	13. Chapter 30: Mr 0 vs Mr 10

The Gate to Kisho

**The Gate to Kisho**

Chapter 30

Mr. 0 vs Mr. 10

"Akaiso," Neko hissed.

Akaiso stared at him with a boring look. "You honestly believe you'll stand a chance against me?"

Neko had in one hand a color palette and a long fancy brush in the other. "Don't underestimate me. I'm the reason the pirates made it past all your agents, all the way here. And I never fought seriously, up till now."

Akaiso kept his bored look. "I never thought an artist would be such a threat. But you are. I'm supposing Zato knows much of my plans?"

"Told him most. But I couldn't tell him the worst news about Mimi in time."

Akaiso glared and stepped forward. "What's that?"

"The pirates came in counter with Mimi's crew as soon as they entered the Kisho Sea. Upon seeing Yoyma, they were happy to know that she was here. I nearly told them that Mimi wasn't on their side, but Mr. 4 abducted me."

"And you plan to as soon as you get out of here?" Akaiso mumbled.

Neko did not wait any longer. He stroked his brush over the color blue and flicked it. A blue symbol appeared on the ground and soaked in. "Hm? What's that? Paint is always interesting. But water always counters paint."

Neko choked when Akaiso spread his arms and a wave of water came rushing at Neko. His entire color set was ruined as well as the mark on the ground. "You think you can play Color Me around here? Grow up boy, face the truth. You should've run while you could rather than come back. What's the kingdom to you? What are these pirates to you? You could've killed yourself back when I took Yami away from you!"

Neko suddenly put up a depressed look and reflected on his past memories. He lay on the wet floor miserable. "Akaiso.. you've done so much evil! I can't just stand here and let you get away with it!"

"Of course you can't. It's too late for everything though. I would've spared you back then, but you've done enough damage. Zato has already opened his mouth to the kingdom. My army, hopefully they will start the riots against one another. But still, enough is enough. I don't believe it would be wise to let you off running again. Poor little boy. I never thought so lowly of you. You were a smart child. Unique. You had the ability to go to heights. You could've even ruled with me. But you just had to oppose me. Oh well."

Neko did not even look at Akaiso who slowly moved towards him. "Don't fret, it's the best thing to do. At least now you won't have to see.. the world suffer."

A tear trickled down Neko's cheek. Akaiso laid his hand upon his shoulder while his staff gleamed light blue. Slowly, Mr. 10 the artist's body began to freeze, from the bottom up.

"Sleep well, Mr. 10. Sleep in eternal peace."


	14. Chapter 31: Title

The Gate to Kisho

**Akaiso Works**

Chapter 31

Rescuing Mike

_retitled_

Evening the Odds

"Aiyeeeeh!!" Mr. 13 and his partner screeched before being run down by Olvia's cloud flooding.

"Akaiso, damn you!!" Tohru roared. She crashed through the clouds and continued hunting down the Shichibukai. "Why don't you get a load of my strength!"

Fuyu came out from behind and held her back. "You saw him. Not an easy prey. But I want revenge. He's evoked Buster Call, meaning the government will run down this whole island sooner or later."

"Let's hope later," said Nick. "For now, how 'bout we focus on his agents."

Tohru calmed down and analyzed the situation. "If I'm right, we're left down with Mr. 1, Mr. 2 and his partner, Mr. 3 and his partner, Mr. 4, and Ms. Ice Shard. That's seven foes in total, and five of us. But there's still Neko and Mike we have to rescue. So in total, seven of us, seven of them."

Fuyu grinned. "It matches perfectly. I say we take 'em on one by one, individual fights. Besides, this oughta show how strong we are."

"But we can't do that, till we rescue Neko and Mike," said Olvia.

They all grinned and made their way through the halls.

\/\/-\/\/

The door remained perfectly still until two large marks appeared through. It remained silent until the swordsman shot straight through. Fuyu immediately spotted the frozen statue of Neko and cursed. He made out the frozen tear drop going down Neko's cheek. "What the hell happened??"

Tohru barged in soon after and shrieked at the sight of Neko. "Oh no!!" she cried, kneeling down before Neko. "What.. what can we do?! He's frozen!.. Thaw him!!"

She nearly touched him when Fuyu pushed her back. "No! Suppose he breaks! This is something our doctor, and doctor _only_ can do!"

Everyone looked scared. "Mike… Akaiso has him!!"

Tohru got up and continued to sob. Her tears dripped down and splattered on the pitiful statue of Neko. Olvia came to Tohru's side in tears as well. "Everything's going wrong. Neko was a good… he wasn't bad!"

"Saved my life, and now he's dead," Fuyu muttered with a sigh.

Evian and Nick both looked defeated. "For it to have happened so quick.." Fuyu turned to him with a glare.  
"Ranpu Yuushitsu? Explain that you asshole." Evian trembled a bit and shook his head.

"I… I don't know. Ranpu was a criminal. He is of no more now, Akaiso defeated him long back."

"I feel as though you know more than you've told us, Evian," Fuyu hissed. The tip of his sword was poking at Evian's chin. "Speak up."

"Mmmh…." a sound was heard behind them. Tohru looked down to see Neko's head thawed up a bit. At least his face was uncovered. "Guys… cold… I… dying… I can… help… before… too late…"

"NEKO!" Olvia and Tohru screamed. They nearly hugged him, but realized that it would shatter the fragile icicle.

"What is it? Tell us quick."

"Fuyu… swing.. sword… break.. seal.. your friend.. panther… chant… chant… Keisei… Suki…" Neko struggled to say. That was it. He was pale, cold, weak. His body had thawed already thanks to the room temperature, though he lay sprawled useless on the floor.

Fuyu immediately obeyed Neko's orders and swung his sword through thin air, chanting Keisei Suki. "Seal.. Release!!"

A massive rift appeared in the room opening up to the alternate dimension. Fuyu dived in with Evian close behind. "What are you doing… suppose this area only lets one through?" Fuyu hissed.

"I can't just let you barge into a strange area alone. It may be all a trap."

They soon came across Mike, chained to an invisible wall. He was beaten and bloody, but still alive. Fuyu slashed through the chains and together, with Evian, they hauled the large panther back to the rift.

Then the world went into chaos. Miles away, at the kingdom, Mr. 1 shook as if being affected. He shot out of his disguised form and disappeared in a swirl.

Fuyu and Evian leapt out of the rift in time.

Mr. 1 appeared at the entrance of the base. "To think these pirates have meddled this much. I thought Akaiso would've taken care of them."

Zato shot through the fake civilians, clearly distinguishing Akaiso's army. The Queen lay unconscious.

The civilians continued rioting. A cart pulled by snow bulls came rolling down the side of the plateau. Upon reaching the ground with a loud crash, it continued moving towards the hideout.

Zato too turned to give assistance to his crew.

Within five minutes after splashing Mike with water and giving him slow sips, Mike rushed to Neko's side.

The tide of battle was finally evening!


	15. Chapter 32: The Mystery that Mimi Is

The Gate to Kisho

**Akaiso Works**

Chapter 31

The Mystery That Mimi Is

Zato faced the wrecked cart and stared at the entrance to the hideout. It had been blown down completely. "This much damage, already?"

Upon entering, he felt an object whizzing towards him and ducked in time. Zato spun around and looked at the ground. It was a small bomb. "Ahh!!" he cried, and unfortunately took the explosion directly.

The figure hiding in the dark shot forward into the smoke and began slashing at him. "Die fool!" the feminine voice hissed.

Zato recovered in time to absorb most of the explosion and recklessly released it at his new foe. The cloaked figure was thrown back into the wall. Zato fired forward, yelling, "Block Star Sphere!" He clumped up into a shining ball and zipped right towards his opponent.

The ninja-like enemy kicked off the wall in time and made a daring dash down the hall. Zato, staying in his new form, swiftly pursued.

Now coming into a well-lit area, he faced his challenger. "Remove your cloak and show your face." She did. It was the dull, cynic face of Mimi. Zato stumbled in confusion. "Mi.. mi!?"

She slowly nodded. "Yes, it is me."

Zato grinned. "You must've forgotten. Remember, I'm Zato! The captain of those pirates that…"  
"I didn't forget. I knew it was you ever since I spotted you back at the kingdom."

Zato kept smiling. "Hehe… well, you beat us here. You probably would've because we ran across a bunch of.."

"Shutup!" Mimi suddenly hissed, silencing Zato.

His smile dropped to a puzzled and rather annoyed look. "Why'd you attack then?"

"Because you're my enemy, and a hell of an annoying one too," she said, stunning Zato.

"Mimi?!"

"I told you to shutup already! Fight me, stupid child. If you're so strong, if you could've taken down all of those agents already, then prove your strength. Try killing me. Go for it, you dumbass."

Zato clenched his fists while shaking his head. He managed to even chuckle – "No.. hehe, you're just putting up a show here. You're hilarious Mi…"

"Damn bastard!!" she suddenly screamed, and Zato stepped back. "You think everything's a joke! I've been watching you through the Kisho Sea! Ever since I met you, your pathetic crew, I knew! Accept it already! Try to use that brain inside! I'm not your friend! I'm an ENEMY!"

The words seemed to ring in Zato's head. He felt lost. "Mimi.. we haven't even.. know each other.."

"Exactly! Shutup! I'm trying to help you, idiot! Run away while you can!" she screamed. Zato could see her hiding tears, her face was down. It finally shot up and she roared, "Don't make me kill you!!"

Zato stepped back in complete confusion. "I don't know what's going on Mimi. But there's villains all around! Don't hate me. Akaiso.. he's the enemy…"

"I SERVE AKAISO! AKAISO IS MY MASTER! AKAISO IS MY LIFE! I HAVE DEVOTED MYSELF TO AKAISO! I AM MS. AKAISO! I AM THE PARTNER OF MR. 0! I AM THE STRONGEST FEMALE OF AKAISO WORKS! I'M NOT THE MUSHY LADY YOU MET BACK THEN!"

Her words reverberated through the walls of what seemed to be an empty and dark cavern. "Get out of my sight!" she cried one last time, before turning and running away.

Zato could not bring himself to chasing her. He couldn't bring himself to move. He fell to his knees and began to glow red. "Akaiso… you… possessed her too??"


	16. Chapter 33: 0 vs 0

The Gate to Kisho

**Akaiso Works**

Chapter 33

0 vs 0

Akaiso sat upon a large throne in a separate room. "I don't want Akainu to take everything. To think that Ranpu is here.. though the guy wasn't admitting. His name means the Darkened Light.."  
Mimi came rushing into the room. She covered in sweat and worn out. "Took you that long to get here, my bride? Do not fret, come to my side. Let me kiss you my beautiful Mimi."

Obediently, Mimi came in front of Akaiso with a straight face. "Tell me what troubles you. You don't seem to be liking much of what's going on."

"Akaiso," she slowly whispered. He finally made out her tears and smirked. "Please.. set me free."

_Ptchh!_ The sound shot through most of the surrounding rooms. Akaiso slapped Mimi right across the face and even sent her swirling through the air, tumbling a bit, and crashing on the red carpet laid out in the center of his throne room. "I took you from the wretched state you were in back then! Insolent child. The only reason I made you who you are now is because I wanted you. All on the terms of you becoming my bridge, and I would make you this powerful and amazing woman. You were the second love of my life! I lost much after that scoundrel Warren robbed me of everything!"

"You demanded much!" Mimi screamed. "I can't take it anymore! The world itself has hated me. Finally I find.. friends! I found pirates. You fools of the government antagonize them immediately and all you care about is… your own selfish wealth..!"

Akaiso stepped down from the throne and punched Mimi in the face. "Opposing me? Pirates don't care. All they want is their treasure. They rob, they pillage. They do everything horrible. And you go side with them now??"

Mimi wiped the blood from her face. Her voice became demonically deep and she roared, "DIE!!" Akaiso braced the extreme sound blast that came over him and shook himself to recover.

"Your devil fruit power. You use it against me? My very bride? Maybe I _should_ just kill you right now."

Tears came down Mimi's cheeks while she shook her head. "I… Akaiso… spare me.. please.."

"All you care about is your god damn life! You care nothing about others! You just run off with your own life. Running, letting others die. You poor soul, so much has happened to you. All you _can_ do is run from the past but live the nightmares in your very life."

Mimi shook her head as Akaiso neared her. He rose the sharp end of the staff and was about to bring it down…

"I'll prove myself to you!!" she suddenly screamed. The weapon stayed where it was. "How.. how can I prove my loyalty??"

"Your loyalty? Let's see. How 'bout finishing the job you left undone!" Akaiso chortled, pointing past her.

Zato himself had arrived in the room, steaming with rage. "Akaiso…" he snarled.


	17. Chapter 34: My Heart is Cynic

The Gate to Kisho

**Akaiso Works**

Chapter 34

My Heart is Cynic

"Here's your very chance, right here," Akaiso whispered. "Prove yourself. Take him down."

"Za.. to.." she suddenly whispered. Her tears were clearly apparent.

"Mimi, I knew it. It's all Akaiso's doings. He tormented you, must've poisoned.."

"Shutup!" she snapped again. Zato shook his head in disbelief. "I told you to get.. out of my sight! Do you want me to kill you?!"

Akaiso watched with an impressed look. "He would've run if he wanted to keep his life. Or he's just too cocky to realize what situation he's in."

Mimi no longer hesitated. She stepped forth, took a deep breath, and then exhaled a great amount of dynamic breath and sound. Zato wasn't prepared for what came next.

"Die!!" she roared, and he felt a force penetrating his skin and ripping into his heart. Blood was already exuding from all over his body. He stared in complete confusion.

Mimi shot from his position and came at Zato without mercy. "Hyo! Ha!" Landing a number of blows, she made a quick job of the motionless captain.

Zato landed back on the floor weaker than Mimi was before. "What.. the hell did you just do?!"

"I warned you enough!" Mimi hissed. "Die!!"

Zato felt the same feeling once more – it was as if her words were coming to life! "Damnit!!" he cried.

"Kaze," she hissed. Amidst his bloodshed, Zato was blown up into the air by a stream of wind.

"She has.. a fruit power.. must have one.." Zato groaned. The wind suddenly stopped, and he fell from the great height down to the floor.

That's when he changed things – right before landing, Zato fired himself like a cannonball straight towards Mimi. "Just… release energy.."

She couldn't do anything in time and took the hit directly. Zato sent his new rival captain crashing back into the throne. "It _is_ Akaiso!" he shouted.

Akaiso watched in puzzlement and a little fear. "This redoubtable boy.. surprising. I wouldn't have expected him to make that comeback."… "Mimi! What are you waiting for? Get up and crush him. Don't tell me that was enough to take you out."

She got up alright. Her neck was bleeding, but it didn't stop her. "My goal.. is to live, Zato. The world hasn't shown me much love. The world hasn't shown me much care. I saw a chance to escape my torture, and to seek a new life. The secrets of my past, the fortunes of my future, all of those are waiting at the end of this path. I can't… stop… to… waste time.. with pirates… and…"

She was in tears again. Zato could tell she was holding back against what she was to say. "Akaiso, how much of a burden have you laid on her?"

"How much have I put on her, huh? I was the one who granted her welfare, her happiness, a chance to reach her dreams. For a pirate, you are one of the most meddling I've seen. Stay out of this. Why try messing with a girl you met just now. Huh, answer me boy!!"

Zato faced Mimi once more. "You can do it Mimi. Ignore his false talks! He's the enemy! His ambitions, HAVE YOU NOT EVEN PAID ATTENTION TO ANYTHING HE'S DOING?? OPEN YOUR EYES!!"

Mimi had taken every word Zato said. "Akaiso.." she whispered. "I'll… KILL YOU!!"

Just as Zato grinned, just as Akaiso frowned, Mimi turned to the pirate and hissed, "_Katsu_."

There was no time to react. No time for anything. Zato simply exploded, his whole body. As the smoke cleared, Mimi saw the captain fall to the ground, covered in blood and torn skin. It oozed out and formed a puddle around his body.

"I hate you.. Akaiso.. die…" she cried before too collapsing.

Akaiso's frown turned upside down. "Unexpected turn of events. Congrats, my love."


	18. Chapter 35: Obliterate Akaiso Works!

The Gate to Kisho

**Akaiso Works**

Chapter 35

Obliterate Akaiso Works!

Seven, now reunited. They gathered together in the centermost section of the base. "Seven on seven," said Tohru. "The odds are even now."

"Seven of us, seven left in Akaiso Works," Evian commented. "Now let's plan out how we'll approach our upcoming battles."

Fuyu produced a map of the base, confusing Tohru right there. "Ehh? When did you get that??"

"Shutup and listen," he muttered. She continued glaring. "Fine. Mr. 13's perverted partner dropped it."

"What was her name?" Olvia piped in.

"Damnit.. WHY DOES THIS MATTER?? Can we move on?!"

Olvia stared in shock. "He.. cussed.. at me!! PERFIDY!!" She began to sob and nearly collapsed. Tohru grabbed her in time.

"Ahh deal with it wussy girl," Evian mumbled. Unfortunately, it got to Tohru and Olvia.

"PERFIDY!!" she sobbed.

"EHH?? Wanna say that louder asshole??" Tohru barked. Evian squealed with fear and jumped back behind Fuyu. The swordsman had his eyes closed, lips sealed. But everyone could see that anger was bottling up inside.

"Fuyu, protect me from that evil short girl!" Evian hooted.

"BAKA!! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!" Tohru screamed. Fuyu willingly moved aside so she could get him.

After a minute, Fuyu felt a trickle of blood land on his arm. "THAT'S IT YOU IDIOTS!" Fuyu roared. Tohru yelped and rushed away. The swordsman went on a rampage, slashing everything in his path.

The crew finally calmed down.

"As I was saying before, there are four major sections of this building. The central portion, the northern room, the eastern room, and the western. If I'm correct, the agents assemble in these rooms based on their number. That means two will be in each room. The last agent, Mr. 1… he's the hard one. Always moving around. But I'm positive he'll end up going through the center at some point. That means if we want our fights to turn out successful, then we'll have to leave someone here as a stronghold. Someone big, tough.."

Mike immediately volunteered himself. "I'm feeling like getting a little revenge on that Mr. 1. Besides, I'm our medical support. If I stay here in the center, I'll be easily accessible to you guys."

"Meaning we're gonna have to split up now amongst the remaining six," said Tohru.

"Exactly. Now, first things first. Evian can't go with Tohru, they'll get in a fight. Evian can't go with Olvia. I can't go with Olvia. Evian can't go with me either. So that should narrow it down a bit."

"I could go with Olvia!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Two females, sorry, we'll need a male with each just in case, you know, you come across some pervert like Evian."

Everyone (except Nick and Tohru) remembered what happened in their battle with Mr. 5 and Ms. Clock. "Ahh!!" Evian cried. "Must you bring back such horrible memories!?"

"I have it planned out. Don't take this personally, but right now Tohru and I are the strongest in this crew, excluding Zato. Meaning we'll take care of the Mr. 2 pair. Since Olvia can't go with Evian, and Neko probably won't stand Evian, I'm sorry Nick, but I'm sending Evian with you."

Nick nodded. When Fuyu looked down, Nick flicked Evian off. Evian didn't bother creating a commotion. He seemed depressed by how much the crew hated him.

"So Nick and Evian, you take care of Mr. 3 pair. That leaves Olvia and Neko, go for Mr. 4 pair. Those two, I know won't be perverts. I've clashed them, so Olvia you're safe."

Despite the foolishness, the seven stood up and spread out.

"OBLITERATE AKAISO WORKS!" they all chanted!


	19. Chapter 36: Mr 10 vs Mr 4

The Gate to Kisho

**Akaiso Works**

_Tohru's Dairy: Continuing this day… So we're off to get to our battles! I'm so pumped, ready to crush that stupid Akaiso and all of his minions. Hehe, it'll be tight! Oh my gosh and…_

Fuyu yanked Tohru, forcing her to lose balance in the middle of their dash towards the western side of the base. "Ehh?! What was that for?!"

"What are you doing? We can't be writing love notes right now. Gimme that book, lemme shred it," Fuyu hissed.

"Ehh?! Baka!! Stay away!!" Tohru yapped.

Chapter 36

Mr. 10 vs Mr. 4

"Mr. 4," Ms. Ice Shard mumbled. "I… Akaiso… he's gone pretty far."

"We can't do anything. Oppose him, he kills us. Perhaps he'll protect us from.. Buster Call. Argh…"

"The Star Pirates will be here anytime soon," Ms. Ice Shard mumbled. "They were intimidating. Mr 4.. I wish.. I hadn't joined. I wish Akaiso never came into my life."

"He came into all of ours, despite and against our wishes. Ms. Ice Shard, we can't do anything except cling onto our lives. He raided homes, villages, islands, kingdoms, destroying our familys, crushing our past, our dreams, our hopes, bloating us with false dreams. But again, we can't do anything. Hopefully.. he'll find some way to keep us safe from the marines."

That very moment, Neko and Olvia stepped into the room.

"Then.. Mr. 4, I'll give it all I can. Akaiso did save me from.. death. Or at least he made it seem like that. It's time I revealed my true abilities!"

Neko sneezed. Olvia gave him a weird look. "Erm… you two! Run while you can, for you.. er.. will suffer a painful death! I am.. the mystic Cloud Chamber.. I mean… ack! I meant… Cloud Witch.. no witches are ugly.. erm… Cloud.. Cloud… Cloud…"

Neko sneezed again. Mr. 4 gave the pair a strange look before turning to Ms. Ice Shard. "So you're finally going to take up Ms. Bouquet?"

"I'm pumped. I feel stronger than before," sai dMs. Ice Shard, or now Ms. Bouquet.

"Take out the cloudy girl. I'll take good care of Mr. 10."

"Wha!?" Olvia suddenly cried. Mr. 4 and Ms. Bouquet had disappeared in a flash. She could hear them zipping at a remarkable speed throughout the room. "Neko!! Get.. help!! They're going crazy!"

Unfortunately, Ms. Bouquet had spread petals wherever she went, distracting Olvia. Mr. 4 was coming in from the front. Olvia only noticed too late.. "Ah!!"

"Aaaaaaaaachoooooooooooooooooooo!!" Neko screamed, letting out a ton of snot in this sneeze. It flew right into Mr. 4's face, stopping the opponent in his tracks. He was covered in gooey and nasty snot. "Hm.. I think.. ACHOO!! I feel.. it's cold. Maybe that's why I'm suddenly sick.."  
Ms. Bouquet noticed Mr. 4 kneeling down. "Mr. 4!!" she cried, finally stopping her rapid speed. "Aiyah! What happened?!"

"It's.. disgusting!! Urghh… it's snotty! Ahhhh!" Mr. 4 yelped. His face turned a bit green and he threw up all over himself.

Neko seized this opportunity and equipped himself with the brush and palette. Waving the brush over the color red, he flicked the tip in many different strokes. A red mark appeared on Mr. 4's head, and suddenly the agent began steaming with rage. "Grr… you… I… I hate everything!!" he roared. Mr. 4 went on an uncontrollable rampage throughout the room. Ms. Bouquet soon found herself attempting to run away from the boar-like creature charging behind her.

"Mr. 4!!" she cried. She noticed the seal on his head and took action. A petal hovered in front of her, and she blew it right onto his forehead. Crossing her arms as a mage would in a spell, she chanted, "Purify!"

Mr. 4 immediately calmed down, and even fell against the wall. "He.. urgh. Ms. Bouquet, I'm sorry. I couldn't.. control myself. Ugh.. I think we're in each other's way in this battle."

Neko watched with glee, exclaiming, "Wheee!! This chapter's soo self-favoritism. I love having the spotlight."

"Um..? What the..?" Olvia commented.

"Ack! Nothin'.. nothin' at all!" Neko cried.

"Uh.. Whatever. Look, let's make this battle better by splitting it. I'll take one of them outside and school them," said Olvia.

"Huh," Neko responded. "You're going to go educate them? Do you mean school them as in discipline…"

"Oh my gosh! Never mind, I'll take care of it!" Olvia cried. She began to hover into the air, and Neko began wailing about how he would be lonely. "You can do it, hehe. Besides, they're already planning on splitting up."  
Mr. 4 began flinging snowballs while Olvia and Ms. Bouquet flew up to the ceiling. They nearly started fighting in the air, but Ms. Bouquet decided to make things interesting by stabbing a hole in the roof and flying out. Her petals and vines pulled her up to great distances. "Good luck Neko!" Olvia cried.

Neko screamed and began dodging the explosive projectiles. "Why meeee?!" Neko squealed. He kept running, and Mr. 4 kept trailing him with snowball bombs.

"See, if I keep my distance while making you run, you won't have time for your art trick or anything. I told Ms. Bouquet to not worry, you won't be able to stun me by sneezing all over again!" Mr. 4 spat. He proved to be a lean mean snowball machine.

"Aiyah! Please! I… I was sick! Have pity on the sick people! Don't just throw things.. ACHOO!!" Neko sneezed and stumbled, leaving him vulnerable to the snowball rushing at him.

_Boom!_ Mr. 4 grinned. "Gotcha," he hissed. The smoke cleared, and Neko now lay on the ground. He suffered several wounds from the fall and the explosion. "Meh.." he mumbled, unwilling to get up.

"Mr. 10. You can't match up to my abilities. I'm six ranks ahead of you in Akaiso Works. There's no way…"

"Quit calling me that. You're not six ranks ahead – I'm not a part of Akaiso Works anymore," Neko responded in a dull monotonic voice. Finally he pushed himself up to his feet again. "Akaiso crushed us all to force us on his side. He destroyed the original us and formed new blind slaves. I'm surprised that you even gave in. I didn't, I couldn't stand up to any of you from the start. That's why he defeated me effortlessly. But.. that was before. I was weak back then, and I still am weak. But everyone, _everyone_ has their weaknesses and strengths. And it's time I show you the strength I possess, the strength that has grown in the time I have suffered under Akaiso's reign of terror!"

Mr. 4 stared at him blankly but soon was roaring with laughter. "Boy, I don't know how a clumsy fool like you could've come up with all that!"

'I know,' Neko thought. 'Who put that in my script?!'

"Well anyways. Strengths? Of course, we all have improved greatly in strengths. But you, oh what a different fellow from all of us. You were trailing behind us all in the tests, but you still managed to keep up. And that art talent, with that all he put you as Mr. 10. You're not as strong as any of us. You may be a smart boy, but you don't have that common sense. In a world this dangerous, you can only survive by being on the winning side. Otherwise, you're as good as dead. Siding with pirates, look where that got you. Akaiso evoked the Buster Call upon this miserable island! Hehe, as for us, we're under Akaiso. Sure, he's raied our pasts, thrown us off our own courses. But he's the one who's made us the strong fellows we are now! He's like our new father, our master! And they wouldn't dare harm a Shichibukai now, would they? Oh well, no need for you to suffer the Buster Call. Face my wrath now!"

"Snowball Flurry!" Mr. 4 roared. Neko dived in time to dodge the explosives, but again fell to the ground. "What happened to everything about the strength? Hm..? Well, who cares. How 'bout I bring out my real form!"

Neko watched blankly as Mr. 4 became covered in snow. "A.. snow.. man…?" Neko mumbled. "Don't the readers want something better to entertain them?"

"I don't give a damn about what the readers want, you'll die anyways!" Mr. 4 yelled. Then, he glided across the floor as if ice skating and ripped chunks of snow and ice from his body. "Snowball-roll!" Mr. 4 shouted. As he approached Neko, he started rolling and increasing his body snow mass.

Terrified Neko stared at the large ball that was rolling at him. 'What can I do? What can I do?!' he thought. Too late, Mr. 4 rammed him back into the wall and crushed him under his full round body mass.

From the large heap of snow, Mr. 4 emerged with Neko hanging from one of his stick arms. "Yuki Yuki no Mi gives me the power of snow! Watch this! _Katsu_!"

He hurled a large snow bomb at the wall behind them and opened up to the winter wilderness. "I used to be a royal guardian. But when Akaiso arrived, I 'disappeared'. I told him that I could not survive anywhere else other than an icy region. For that reason, he kept me and Ms. Bouquet here. He cares for us. Akaiso is a genius. Akaiso is a great man. He had a right to go far against you pirates. To oppose him, you trash shouldn't even still be leaving! Take this!!"

Neko was at a clear disadvantage, though the cold environment forced him to sneeze once more. The impact threw him back down and even snapped off Mr. 4's arm. "Arhhh… you…" Neko was already scrambling away. "Mr. 10.. I'm gonna kill you!" Mr. 4 roared. He quickly sank into the snowy ground. Neko was rushing away, towards a forest. That was when the wind picked up. He stopped for a moment to shield from the icy wind when Mr. 4 popped out of the snow right in front and tackled him back down to the ground.

**from here, you'll interpret some lines in multiple ways**

"Don't think you can run so long!" Mr. 4 roared. Neko now lay in the bitter winterland, shivering, crying, weakened. Mr. 4 was all over him, jabbing him with his sticks left and right (**interpret that line however you want to**). The poor Mr. 10 was left bloody, bruised, and broken. "Mhh…" he moaned. 'Hunger.. I don't know why, but.. I have to find a weakness. But he's so.. strong.. Wait… snowmen have.. the nose.. hehe, it'll work two ways for me!' he thought.

Mr. 4, believing he had won, began to glide away through the snow. Suddenly, he felt searing pain from behind. He looked down to see a brush zip out of the center ball piece of his body – it even knocked his nice button out of position. "Mr. 10, when will you give up?"

Mr. 4 unfortunately made the mistake of spinning around. The brush tore through the center portion of his body and his upper half, including the stick arms, came crashing down to the snowy ground. Mr. 4, though in his natural environment, was left vulnerable for a moment. Neko bent down and sank his teeth into the carrot nose. He pulled hard enough and yanked the stick-like out of Mr. 4's face. "Arghh!!" he screamed. Mr. 4 immediately transformed back into his human form with a bloody nose.. well there was no nose at all, just a hole with blood pouring out.

Again vulnerable, Neko snatched his brush and painted black all over Mr. 4's body. He didn't care to watch his opponent cringe from torment. All he heard was Mr. 4's final scream. "My black.. represents the color of dying and suffering. Perhaps now you truly understand my strength. Once I put.. my heart to battle.. once I put my mind and heart to anything, I will prevail!"

--

Neko made it to the exploded opening of the door, only to collapse. "My wounds… battle injuries.. meh. At least.. I won. But… I need more.. energy… why… maybe the carrot wasn't enough… tasted bad anyways." The paint on the carrot had come off. It was a rock.

--

FRONA KINGDOM OUTSKIRTS, NORTHSIDE – ENCHANTED WOODS

WINNER: MR. 10 NEKO PANORA


	20. Chapter 37: Olvia vs Ms Boulala?

The Gate to Kisho

**Akaiso Works**

Chapter 37

Olvia vs Ms. Bouquet

Olvia stood on the rooftop of the building staring at her opponent. She hugged her body while shivering. "Geez, now I know why Neko's so sick."

"Yo pirate!" Ms. Bouquet shouted. "Wondering why I changed from Ms. Ice Shard?"

"No," Olvia responded directly.

Ms. Bouquet stumbled in place from embarrassment. She pointed her finger at Olvia and snapped, "Argh.. I changed it because I was showing a change in…"

"I didn't say it clearly enough. I don't care to know about your metamorphasis!" Olvia made sure each word came out loud and clear.

Ms. Bouquet gritted her teeth at the girl, responding, "What an obnoxious child you are. Fine, telling you won't make a difference. I saw your power when you were coming up here. You use clouds! Hehe, what are clouds supposed to do to me? Huh? Poof, cotton candy, wispy, fun, calm, peace, that stuff."

"Hm. What are you supposed to do with your petals?" Olvia responded, still keep a blank and direct voice.

"Alright, underestimating each other we are. I have the powers of the Ma Ma no Mi! You may see petals, but that's not it. I have…" Ms. Bouquet kept going on and on about her abilities, her life, everything, only to realize that Olvia had sat down with clouds huddling up to keep her warm. In her hands, and now going into her mouth were a couple of delicious brownies still saved from the Pinpoint Island experience.

She let the gooey chocolate sink into her body and give a soothing sensation.. _Slap!_ Ms. Bouquet struck her hard across the face. Olvia dropped the brownies from her hand and fell back. "Owww!! My brownies!! Oh, perfidy! Perfidy!!"

Ms. Bouquet snatched the fallen brownies, but Olvia slapped her hand in an effort to prevent her from getting them. Ms. Bouquet kicked Olvia back and took the brownie for herself. The agent tossed it into her mouth, chewed on it a bit, and then turned red and spit it all out on the ground. Olvia was horrorstruck, and she glared at Ms. Bouquet.

"What? Well fine, they weren't that bad.. actually they were horrible!" Ms. Bouquet shouted.

Not realizing the brownie still in her mouth, Olvia shouted in a muffled voice, "Omwigwosh!! You.. shpit! You shpit what you sphicked up from ghe ghwound! Baad mwanners!! Omwigwosh! Pwerfidy!! Pwerfidy!!" Small bits of the brownie came out of her mouth and on the floor.

"Bad manners? Haha! Look at yourself! And besides, a common rule in battle, manners don't matter!" Ms. Bouquet cackled. "Now enough fooling around. Maybe you'll realize my power after seeing this!" Snowflakes began surrounding the saliva-covered brownie that had been spit on the ground and created a bright flash. When the light faded, there was the brownie as if it had just come out of the oven. "Purity, it's beautiful. For this reason I cannot be killed. You wound me, I'll purify myself. Ma Ma no Mi, truly powerful fruit it is. So get going! Tell me bout your fruit, your powers. What makes you so strong?"

Olvia laughed in response, enraging Ms. Bouquet. "Hehe, here's another rule. You don't give away your abilities before the fight has started. That's probably a big one!"

"Arr… stupid girl. Well it doesn't matter, I don't need any advantage to crush you!" Ms. Bouquet said. Suddenly, she went into a trance. After a few seconds, she emerged as her original self – Ms. Ice Shard. She charged at Olvia while swinging the icicle weapon recklessly. "I didn't tell you everything!"

Olvia held her ground by pushing Ms. Ice Shard back with a thick shield made of cloud. "Ms. Ice Shard, then Bouquet. I'm just gonna call you… Boulala!"

Ms. Ice Shard stumbled in place once more. "Argh.. what the hell, Boulala?! What do you think this is. Alright, enough of your foolishness. _Ice Routine_!"

Olvia blocked in the normal manner and further aggravated 'Boulala'. "See, my cloud defense is like, so much more, amazing than your ice stick and beautification powers."

"It's purification, damn you!" Boulala screamed. Olvia felt the icy wind pushing against her as he continued to hold her ground. Boulala swiped and struck recklessly with hopes of striking an opening and breaking through Olvia's defense. "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Now for offense!" said Olvia. "_Kumo Shockwave!_" Boulala, being so close, couldn't avoid a direct pulse. She felt it surge through her body and collapsed to the ground. "_Kumo Kumo Mound!_" The clouds clumped up around and over Boulala. "Now change form!" All of a sudden, they liquefied and splashed over the agent. Her purity powers had been completely washed off and negated. Adding to that, she was covered in wounds that had resulted from the shockwave through her bloodstream.

"So now that you're drenched in water, I'll win!"

"You really think that just a little water will kill me?" Ms. Ice Shard screamed back. She kicked off the ground while Olvia was vulnerable and tackled her opponent to the ground. "Take this!!" With no mercy, she thrust the sharp shard into Olvia's rib cage.

Fortunately, Olvia squirmed and moved in time to avoid the fatal blow, but she still took the hit to her arm. "Ahh!!" she cried in pain. Blood oozed out of her right arm and froze upon contact with the frozen rooftop.

"Feel it? You feel the pain? And you.. you can't do anything about it! You don't have powers like me!" Ms. Bouquet's wounds immediately healed when her skin lit up. "Yes.. my power! It grows. I'm.. invincible!"

Olvia watched in disgust while getting up. She decided to ignore the pain from her arm and faced Ms. Bouquet. In her hand, the clouds materials into a long sword. "Try this out."

--

Neko rested unconscious on the snow. Quite some feet further ahead, Mr. 4 ran around suffering. He managed to rip off his outfit (most of the paint had gone on his clothes) and stumbled across the snowy field towards Neko. "You… thought that'd kill me so easy? Huh? You may have won.. but.. no.. you didn't win. You lost!! I'll kill you right.. now!!"

_Flunk!_ A body landed on him, incapacitating him completely. Ms. Bouquet, pale and weak from extreme blood loss, had fallen from the rooftop and crashed into Mr. 4. The pair lay together, both defeated.

Olvia stared down from above with her _Kumo_ sword. Blood dripped from the tip. "You got me started. Don't think you can win when you hurt me. Eating.. EATING MY BROWNIES IS ENOUGH!!"

Ms. Bouquet let out a soft cry in time. "She… she's so strong.. how could I have thought to win.. without even effort… she defeated me… maybe these pirates.. do stand a chance against Akaiso.. right Mr. 4?"

She only heard his naked suffering beneath her.

--

AKAISO WORKS BASE, NORTHSIDE – ROOFTOP

WINNER: '_Kumo_ PRINCESS' OLVIA


	21. Chapter 38: Nick vs Mr 3

Akaiso Works

**Akaiso Works**

Chapter 38  
Sniper Showdown  
Nick vs Mr. 3

Evian and Nick both stepped into the massive and cool room together. It seemed to be Akaiso's relaxation station, as it was set up with a fine dining table running through the center, a sparkling white tablecloth neatly placed over. To each side of the dining hall were luxurious sofas and chairs of pure velvet. A massive grandfather clock towered above all in the room, with several beautiful paintings hung neatly upon the wall.

"This is amazing..!" Evian cried. Food had already been placed on the priceless table in colorful trays. The silverware hung from the ceiling, tied by loose threads, and were there to be grasped for the meal.

Before the foolish chef could rush to the food, Nick grabbed him by the collar. "How dumb are you gonna get. It's obviously a trap."

The butler seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He was a pleasant old man stumbling along with a thick wooden cane. "Welcome, my friends.. this is the hidden corner of the Frona Kingdom. We serve you the best food available.."

As he spoke, Nick noticed something unusual. He could definitely not see.

Evian charged forward, serving as a distraction as Nick aimed and fired. The butler dived out of the way before a bomb bullet obliterated him. He rolled around and grabbed Evian from behind. The wooden cane jammed against the pirate's head. Nick cursed - he was too late.

"A blind old man, wooden cane, disguised as a butler, found in the kitchens. I knew it was you, Assassin Sogechi, hailing from Sharpshooter Island."

The wooden exterior of the butler's cane hung loose, revealing a double edged weapon. The sniper end pushed against Evian's head. "I go by the name Mr. 3 now days, young one. I can tell that you're from my old home too. It hurt me when Akaiso sent Mr. 6 and 7 pairs instead of me to bomb the island." Mr. 3's finger held tightly to the trigger, ready to pull back if Nick made the slightest movement.

Evian was the one to respond. He kicked his leg back into Mr. 3's shin and attempted to disarm the blind sniper of his weapon. "You don't stand a chance if you can't see!"

Mr. 3 took the hit but fired anyways. The bullet whizzed by Evian's ear and all the way to the side of the room. _Crash_! The outer glass of the grandfather clock shattered and distracted Evian just enough for Mr. 3 to fire again.

_Boom!_ Nick's aim proved worthy, as he intercepted Mr 3's bullet with his own before Evian would suffer. "Evian, let me take care of him. Go into the kitchen back there" - Nick pointed towards a mostly covered door at the opposite end of the room. Mr. 3 groaned and began taking his cane-gun apart and reforming it into a multi-barrel shooter.

"Shit.." Evian muttered.

"RUN!" Nick roared. Evian underestimated his opponent's blindness and ran away in a straight line.

He was an easy target for the wise sniper. Fortunately, the chef spun around with his staff handy and shielded himself from the worst impact with a static ball. "EVIAN, HE MAKES UP FOR HIS BLINDNESS WITH OTHER SHARPENED SENSES! His bullets move so fast they produce a streak of light, and for some reason that light is the only thing that he can see."

Nick countered Mr. 3's rapid firings with his own grenade. Mr. 3 was too focused on Evian...

An explosion filled the entire dining hall, obliterating the luxurious furniture. Nick jumped back to the wall to avoid the falling grandfather clock. "Get out of here Evian..." he muttered. From a distance, he heard hissing sounds, as if something was whizzing through the air and slamming into the wall beside him. "Damn it."

Nick ducked right before Mr. 3's Wasp Missiles struck him. He noticed the timer on each one as they struggled to break away from the wall. "They're lock on.. explosives.. NO!" The first three exploded right above his head.

As the smoke fully cleared, Nick found himself alive but sprawled on the ground. The entire room had been decimated. Shattered glass lay on the floor in front of him; Nick took a look at his reflection in a relatively large chunk and made out blood gashing from his forehead.

His head ached terribly. His arms were weak. His weapon had been pushed away by the concussion of Mr. 3's projectiles

And as for Mr. 3, the blind sniper made his way towards the fallen youth. "Sharpshooter Island really hasn't changed, huh? I was expecting more of a challenge, but all I get is a pathetic kiddo." Mr. 3 twirled his cane in his hand until it finally stopped. Gripping tightly, he brought the sharp razor end straight down. "Goodbye."

Nick rolled to the right in time and barely escaped his death. Mr. 3 flipped the cane around and lifted up a small hatch. Hidden underneath it was a knob. Nick at the same time crawled to the displaced weapon.

By the time he grasped it, Mr. 3 released full power. "This may be just a cane, but it's loaded with tons of energy!!" The knob had been turned to maximum. Nick cursed when he saw the end of the gun glowing as it focused its power into a large beam.

Nick looked at the last bullet he had. It was a bomb bullet. The chunk of glass lay between him and his opponent. "I can't shoot him, he'd dodge too easily. I gotta aim so that the impact of the explosion will move the glass without breaking it."

"There's no way you'll survive this you idiot. This one shot will take out everything in front of me. There's no escaping! Five seconds you got left!"

Nick thought deeply. "This is life or death.. the blast is unstoppable. But the light that's produced.. that's the one thing he can see. The light could be enough." Four seconds. "Think.. think.. if the glass shatters then.." His hands shook. Three seconds. "Gotta take the chance. Either he goes down or he prevails." Two seconds. "I'm gonna fall no matter what.." One second!

The young sniper pulled the trigger. The bullet smashed into the ground and exploded.

The glass shattered. His plan had failed.

Or so he thought.

The chipped glass pieces stabbed into Mr. 3's skin, forcing the cane out of the veteran's hands. As it came crashing upon the floor, it began to break down. "No..!!" Mr. 3 roared. Nick, knowing there was one more chance, charged full speed ahead at his opponent.

His weapon, not a true gun, self destructed right there. All the stored energy came out the front, all towards Nick.

Nick grasped a large enough portion of the glass and held it out straight at the blast coming his way. The light particles had already pushed towards him.

The reflection bounced them off and back at Mr. 3. He felt the dark world of blindness suddenly light up as it had never done before. "AHH!!"

Mr. 3 cringed and was struck motionless. In the half second remaining for Nick, he prayed that what he did was enough. The surge of unstoppable energy ripped straight through his body and continued, obliterating the entire room. Mr. 3 opened his eyes for the first time in seventy years. "My.. vision has returned??" Everything was a blur to him. His vision focused sharply but soon dulled, the cycle repeating itself over and over.

He could see his opponent for the first time in the battle. It was a tall male, holes bored into his clothes, smoke rising from the incinerated body. An entire arm had been blown off. Blood poured down enough to bathe a child.

Assassin Sogechi cursed to himself. The speed and impact of the reflection had been enough to fry his own brain. "To think I'm seconds from true death. Too much.. that kid is something. Sharpshooter Island.. damn it they _have_ become strong."

Both snipers dropped.

AKAISO WORKS BASE, EASTSIDE – DINING HALL

WINNER: 'SNIPER DEMON' Nikhil Anarion


	22. Chapter 39: Evian vs Ms Gourmet

Akaiso Works

**Akaiso Works  
Chapter 39  
Chef Showdown  
Evian vs Ms. Gourmet**

Evian dived into the kitchen in time. There was a great rumbling from the room behind him. "Goodluck Nick.."

It was a scary experience for him to walk into the kitchen. All sorts of utensils (knives, forks, scissors, gloves, etc.) hung from the ceiling. Paths paved around numerous counters, making it seem like a separate labyrinth for Evian. "Anyone.. in here?"

He felt the shadow enveloping him and darted to the side. An enormous lump crash landed right beside him, smothering _everything_ on that part of the kitchen. Behind Evian was his new opponent, a gigantic and extremely obese female cook. She held a ladle in one hand and a _huge_ tissue in the other, perhaps to blow her runny nose.

"BOSS BATTLE!! MS. GOURMET!!"

Ms. Gourmet struck Evian across the face for his ridiculous words. Taking in a deep breath, she screamed insanely straight into his face. Evian's ears burst, his skin pushed inwards, and tears ran down from his eyes. At the end of her voice storm, he felt much of her saliva and other liquids all over his body. Ms. Gourmet glared at him, and, in a high pitched immature voice, she squealed, "You the wun who Akaiwzo want dead!! You the bad piwate!!"

"Are you serious?" Evian muttered to himself. "I get the insane fatty as my opponent?" He stood tall and firm and confronted her. "Haha! This is _too_ easy! Let me show you a taste of my power!" He whipped out his staff and focused the electric energy to the end. When it was ready, Evian flung the Lightning Ball at Ms. Gourmet.

_Boing!_ Her layer of fat absorbed it and propelled it straight back at him. "Crap!!" he cried. Evian pressed hard on his staff to attract the lightning back into the weapon. "Thank god.. that won't work."

"Moi turn!" she wailed. In the flash of a second, she had disappeared. Evian looked all around in puzzlement. Then, he remembered the shadow descending upon him before. The pirate looked straight upwards to see that it wasn't just a large kitchen horizontally. The chamber reached for hundreds and hundreds of feet. Up at the ceiling, Ms. Gourmet held on tightly to a gooey substance. While hanging, she reached for the yellow globs and shoved them in her mouth. "Honey.. honey make me happy."

Slowly, the honey dripped from the top and down to the kitchen. Evian looked all over Ms. Gourmet, searching for a weakpoint. "Well.. are you gonna move from there??" Evian yelled.

"Shaddup!! Why don' you come uppy heeuh!" she spat back. Evian sighed before sending multiple balls back up at her. Ms. Gourmet countered with a net of honey, again absorbing all of his energy.

"What to do.. I have one of the five legendary elemental staffs, yet this isn't enough? Ranpu.. what to do..?.. what to do..?.." He felt the shadow coming down again and let electricity exude from the staff. "Do I really have to try releasing my true form..?" Ms. Gourmet plumetted. In the case of her landing upon him, he would be dead instantly. "LIGHTNING MAGE!" Evian roared before she covered him up.

Ms. Gourmet lay on her defeated opponent with a grin. Suddenly, she felt a spark in her buttocks. "Aie... AAH!!" Evian erupted with incredible energy, and his body shined the color of lightning. Ms. Gourmet exploded upwards and crashed back into her pile of honey. Standing in Evian's place was a different person.

"I meant to save this form for Akaiso, but I guess I have to bring it out sometime or another. Meet RANPU.. the LORD OF LIGHTNING!!" Evian kicked off the ground and soared up to Ms. Gourmet's location. She attempted to embrace it with a double coated layer of honey. Evian hurled his reactive staff straight through the honey and let it penetrate her skin and destroy her. "I shed no mercy upon the likes of you. Suffer in hell!" Ms. Gourmet screamed louder than ever when Evian came in contact with her and transferred one hundred thousand volts into her body.

The honey had degraded by then, and Evian's alternate form wore off. The two dropped from the height. Evian caught onto Ms. Gourmet and used her for his own safe landing. "Tougher.. much tougher than I expected." Evian began to walk away back towards the dining hall when an unstoppable force blew straight through the wall and surged through his body. Fortunately, he did not suffer the worst of the blast.

_UNFORTUNATELY_, Ms. Gourmet managed to get up. Evian spun around in shock and fear. "No.. IMPOSSIBLE!!" he cried. "I don't even have the strength to fight, damn! Releasing my lightning energy isn't as easy anymore. If only we were at Lightning Island, I would've eliminated her in one shot. I need my strength back... Besides, what was that from the dining room?!"

"My pawnteh Meestuh Thwee! He did it, he beat you fwend! When he does dat, nobody lives!!"

Evian's face was filled with horror and rushed backwards. "NICK!!" Too bad Ms. Gourmet rolled right over him. The chef lay now bloody and broken on the ground. "Nick... no..." His opponent grabbed him by the leg and flung him up into the air. In a second, she was right there with him and punched him hard back into the wall. "FUCK!" he cried. His attempts to escape her rage went to no avail.

"Yew call me FAT and ALL!! I SHOW YOU! My body let me BOUNCY and give me POWUH!! You have NONE OF DAT!! You'we just JEALOUS!!" Evian slid down from the indent left in the wall a hundred feet off the ground. To his misfortune, he landed right into a massive pot, one that could fit even Ms. Gourmet. His opponent bounced from wall to wall and prepared her final assault. "I CWUSH YEW IN DAT POT!"

Positioning herself directly above the container, she came down one last time. And she fit right into the vessel. Only to have the lid lock shut above her. "Wha!!" she screamed. "WHERE ARE YEW??"

Evian had made the best out of the situation. He jumped off the pot and sent a spark into the stove. It lit up instantly and heated considerably. "I used the last bit of my former strength to move out of the pot as a stream of electricity. And I got out in time. That's all I have. Today's order is.. one Fried Lard Gourmet."

"NOO!!" she screamed viciously, banging on all sides of the pot. It was of no use, for Evian had the vessel barred and chained down. "That would be the work of a few seconds. That's my true strength. Goodbye, Ms. Gourmet."

As Evian sat down to rest for a moment and finally got up to walk away, the pot behind him exploded from extreme heat and pressure. "There's no escaping anymore. That finished you off."

AKAISO WORKS BASE EASTERN SECTION - KITCHEN  
WINNER: "LIGHTNING THIEF?" EVIAN JACQUES

Evian darted into the destroyed dining hall. Both snipers had been down for a bit. "Nick, are you okay??" There was no response from his partner. On the opposite side, the ancient man was clearly dead. "That blast must've finished you off. Don't die on me.."

**There were a lot of sexual innuendos/lines to be interpreted perversely - UNINTENTIONAL (i noticed them while reading it over) Enjoy and review! :)**


	23. Chapter 40: Fuyu vs Mr 2

Akaiso Works

**Akaiso Works  
Chapter 40  
Battle of the Swordsmen  
Fuyu vs Mr. 2 Shikaku no Kazangan Diz**

Two large marks suddenly appeared in the door, and it slammed down. An opening was made. "Here they are, Mistuh 2."

Fuyu and Tohru entered the western side of Akaiso's base, a massive auditorium. Tohru walked through the aisles past the empty audience while stroking the fine velvet seats. The entire theater was dimmed, save for a single spotlight upon the centerstage. Two figures, still as statues, were posed in the light.

"Fuyu, isn't this remarkable?" Tohru whispered. Fuyu gave her a glare. "No no! I mean, not siding with Akaiso or anything, but to have such great material and such a beautiful place, I'm impressed. This theater is amazing!"

The two eased their way towards the remarkable stage, paying attention to everything in their surroundings. Fuyu sat down right in the center of the front row. His swords rested against the pull down chair. Tohru paced back and forth ahead of Fuyu. All the swordsman did was keep his eyes focused on the two gleaming statues on the stage. They were intricate designs, down to the tiniest detail.

"I wonder how the others are doing," Tohru mumbled. Hoping to have received Fuyu's acknowledgement for the statement, she continued: "Hopefully they stopped all of Akaiso's agents.. Neko may have had some trouble. I hope Olvia pulled through. As for Nick and Evian.. I think they're strong. Just hope Evian didn't get distracted..." Fuyu's eyes shifted to the right and left before coming back to the center. He felt awfully suspicious about the scene. His eyes gazed upon the marvelous creations on stage. One depicted a male swordsman, dressed in maroon warrior clothes with a silver cape. A gigantic, fiery red sword was slung over his shoulder. The other figure, much shorter and a female, dressed in a bright blue kimono, held tightly onto a priceless purse. Diamonds were sewn to the seal and glittered in any direction viewed. Fuyu also noticed her parasol, though not yet opened up. Then, something caught Fuyu's attention immediately. "... the Mr. 4 team was pretty decent, at least when you fought them right? And like..".. Tohru continued on, unaware that Fuyu had completely ignored her.

Fuyu moved. He charged right towards Tohru, his eyes maddened, his teeth clenched, and his sword ready to swing. Tohru screamed when he ran right through her... She was still alive. He wasn't going for her - Fuyu threw her to the side and continued. He made a single leap onto the stage and slashed his sword immediately.

The two statues flashed away just in time. Fuyu cursed, Tohru was in shock and confusion.

"Mistuh 2, he found us!" she hollered.

"Miss Penny, let's get the show on the road!" he hollered.

The maroon swordsman suddenly flickered in front of Fuyu and knocked him deep into the audience with a single blow. The female soon came drifting from above to join him; she floated down with her parasol. Tohru felt defeated already. "Mr. 2.. and Ms. Penny?!" she cried.

"Fwaa, you're right, it's us, and you were too slow to even catch on while we observed you," Mr. 2 sneered. "If you were wondering, I'm an extraordinary member of Akaiso Works. Just the number one swordsman here, and soon, I'll surpass everyone and become the most powerful in the world."

Ms. Penny sneered as well and pointed her finger at Tohru. "Little girl, are you sure you want to pick a fight with us? Hehe, won't you just sit here and compliment our lovely room?"

Tohru gritted her teeth and acted against her opponent. She kicked out a pair of rods from his heels and equipped them with the Windmill Shuriken. "Bring it on!!" Tohru swung her weapon. A wind scythe crashed through the stage and would have torn Ms. Penny apart had she not dodged.

"Windling girl, hehe. Do you not see my parasol?" Ms. Penny rode the wind current up off the ground before it could devastate her. She was now floating across the auditorium, right above Tohru. "The reason I'm the second highest ranked female in Akaiso Works is due to my variety in combat. I can counter just about any opponent, you being no exception!"

All of a sudden, Ms. Penny's purse zipped open and a few copper coins dropped out. They plummeted down to where Tohru was, and the female pirate watched anxiously as the money came closer and closer...

_BOOM!_ It exploded all around her. Tohru let out a scream before she was completely engulfed by smoke. Fuyu stood up from the pile of broken chairs he had gotten stuck under only to see his comrade assaulted. "Tohru!!" he cried, rushing to her.

A trail of pennies came soaring down, and one by one, they blew up in Fuyu's path. He avoided many before suffering to a double penny that dropped at twice the speed... "The reason I emerge victorious in all these fights is because I can analyze situations with physics and trigonometry. Now that the two of you are done for, I can..."

Fuyu tore out of the smoke and flickered up into the air, just high enough to strike Ms. Penny. His sword uppercutted but barely missed her face. Instead, it continued and slashed the parasol in half. "No way...!!" Ms. Penny screeched as she tumbled downwards with her opponent.

At the same time, Tohru blasted numerous wind scythes through the smog. One of them nailed Penny; the rest flew on to the stage. Mr. 2 coated himself with actual lava and absorbed the full hit. "Argh.. persistant!! Ms. Penny, take care of the girl. I feel challenged already by his skills. FUYU SASHIMI, it must be!"

Fuyu stepped ahead of Tohru with both of his swords pointing at Mr. 2. "You haven't even come down from the stage. Why don't you come down here and fight?" Fuyu felt heat pressing on him from behind and ducked just in time before the lava hit him. "What the hell?!" A clump of lava shaped similar to Mr. 2 had appeared behind Fuyu.

That was enough to distract him, as the real Mr. 2 landed in front of Fuyu and smashed him with the might of his sword. Fuyu was again thrown back. This time, he hit the wall. Blood spurted from the back of his head and he groaned in extreme pain. "Damn it.. is this all I can do?! How are you so strong??"

Mr. 2 sneered once more and numerous lava masses spurted out of the ground. "Kazan Kazan no Mi. Its powers granted me indestructibility. That's right, I'm made up of lava, and what do you possibly have that can destroy lava?"

Fuyu began to quiver with rage. His dark and cold heart finally exuded a new sort of energy. "I've had it with Akaiso Works.." Fuyu hissed. A shroud of purple haze was emitted from any possible pore. "Get ready.. to die.."

"What's.. going?" Mr. 2 whispered. "I thought only Mr. 1 had that power.."

Mike had waited long enough. "It's been three hours precisely. Akaiso's servants will be here soon."

He was right. Mike dropped down into panther mode to dodge a projectile that flew his way. "What is this?"

It was all a trick. He was the medical base of the crew. He couldn't fall here. In an instant, Mike's surroundings transformed into an alternate space. "Crap. It's you already."  
Mr. 1 floated up above him in a sphere of darkness. He was draped in black robes with his purple magic tainted upon it. He appeared as a Sage of Darkness. "It was shocking for me to find my prisoner escaped. Too bad you were never my real target. Akaiso wants you though. It's hard to believe that a member of Warren's crew still lives." Mr. 1 raised and widened his palm. He pointed in Mike's direction and quickly compressed it back together.

Dark magic enveloped Mike and began to crush him under its force. The panther fortunately broke out in time by becoming large. "Argh!!"

Mr. 1 molded his magic into a javelin and hurled it down at Mike.

Mike felt a transformation. He had caught the weapon in midair with his bare arms. His fur took on a deep blue tone, matching that of the sea. "What the hell?!" Mr. 1 shouted. "You were never strong enough to resist my powers before..!" Mike disappeared in a blur and reappeared right behind Mr. 1. He summarily threw his massive fist right into Mr. 1's skull. "How are you doing this!!" Mr. 1 roared before crashing into the ground.

The number one agent of Akaiso Works was suffering. The entire dark realm cleared away. Mr. 1 was alone now. Mike slowly calmed down, though his fur remained the same color. Coughing to himself, he cried out, "I descend from a lineage of powerful panthers. Our growth and development comes in three stages - black, blue, and the invincible silver. Only one of my ancestors achieved the silver nirvana. He sealed an empire of evil, though his life was sealed away as well in the process. But we were all.. mere animals.. none of us could.." Mike's speech slowed down. Blood trickled down from his mouth. ".. truly attain the invincible form."

Mr. 1 was in disbelief. "You are an extraordinary fiend. It must have been my strength that caused your development, but all of a sudden?"

Mike shook his head. "No.. back when I was in Warren's crew, there was a battle. A battle against Akaiso. Akaiso choked me with a devil fruit. It was something unusual for my species. It reacted violently in my body and instantly trigged the transition. But I had no control over it. I ended up just a half human like I am now.." Mr. 1 couldn't swallow the whole truth at once. "Your magic has a mystic force, and that is what tapped into my Sapphire Panther."

"Meaning as long as I fight you with _Meishingon_, you'll turn into that?" Mr. 1 was responded by a crystal wave. He dived out of the way in time and began dashing out of the room. Mike took a deep breath and raced after him.

Fuyu was in all places at once and gave Mr. 2 no chance to keep up. One second, Fuyu raced around him. The next, he was high above with his sword coming down. "Damnit, calm down!" When Fuyu did get the chance to bring his dark-enhanced sword into 2's shoulder, the whole arm burst into lava and was chopped off.

2 quickly regenerated his arm. He shot lava up, and some of it burned Fuyu's skin. The pirate took the pain and managed to land safely. 2 flooded the entire stage with lava. Fuyu disintegrated the material with his new dark magic.

They both clashed swords right there, neither overpowering the other. 2 tapped lava into the blade to let it melt through Fuyu's. Fuyu focused all of his spiritual energy into his two swords. He was still the underdog in this stage of their fight.

2 had the upper hand. Fuyu's _nitoryu_, even with the _Meishingon_, stood no chance against 2's sword, which was at least twice the size of his. "Now that I have you trapped here, why not some.. _KAZANGAN!!_"

The lava blasted in all directions from 2's body - the assassin had literally erupted. "Fuck!!" Fuyu shouted before lava completely covered him up.

Penny and Tohru watched in horror from the audience when the entrance wall of the theater was blown down. Some sort of invincible force slammed through the auditorium, knocking both females down, and waved through the stage.

When it was all over, 2 and Fuyu were both down.

Mike came dashing in almost immediately. "Tohru!!" he cried.

She pulled herself back up and waited for the doctor to get to her. "Mike.. what happened!? And why.. are you blue??"

Mike ignored her upon seeing the events on the stage. "Fuyu!! No!!"

2 forced himself off the ground and walked over to Fuyu. Kicking the swordsman a bit, he roared with laughter. "It's over, I've won. Now do you see how strong I am? You were wrong to challenge Akaiso Works. I am the strongest member of it all."

The same invisible force propelled 2 forward and off the stage. He landed right on top of the dashing panther. "What the hell was that?!" 2 cried.

Mike threw 2 aside and continued to the stage, hoping to make it in time. He didn't. Some forcefield barrier threw him back. "No! Fuyu!!"

2 realized what was happening and slammed his fist on the ground. "KARO MIGOTSU YOU SELFISH ASSHOLE!!"

Fuyu was stimulated by that name. "Karo Migotsu?! What the hell did you say!!"

A foot came forcefully down on Fuyu's back. "That's right, Fuyu Sashimi. I thought you name rung a bell, hehe. Surprising, isn't it?, for me to be back here." The deep voice sounded so familiar - it matched that of two people. "My oh my, how long has it been? Almost a full _decade_ since our little quarrel. I thought I had finished you off back then, but obviously I was wrong. It hit me when I was thinking about it, on the way here, how skilled you were to have chopped off my arm. And looking at you right now, you're much bigger and stronger than ever. Get up, get off the ground, Fuyu Sashimi. Don't tell me Diz had enough to stop you. I know my former partner can do better than that. Let's settle this duel right here, right now!"

Fuyu was staring into the eyes of Mr. 1, the man 2 referred to as Karo Migotsu. "You joined forces with Akaiso? To think that I had you as my prey all this time. Karo Migotsu.. I'll fucking shred you to pieces!!"

Tohru came running to Mike's side in fear. "Mike.. Fuyu's trapped there! We can't let him fight, he just got severely hurt by Mr. 2!!"

"We can't do anything.." Mike moaned.

Fuyu's hatred squeezed more and more of the dark magic out of his body. His wounds were covered up. He was lifted from the ground by a cloud of purple haze. His two swords came back into his hands. His eyes were closed as he chanted a mantra. Then he moved.

**Long chapter, sorry I have to squeeze a lot in to go by my story plan I made. I'm modifying a lot while trying to stick to the list of chapters, so I don't want to go out of order.  
Hope you enjoyed, don't forget to review! D**


	24. Chapter 41: Fuyu vs Mr 1

**Akaiso Works  
Chapter 41  
Dark Heart Demon  
Fuyu Sashimi vs Dark Prophet Mr. 1 Karo Migotsu**

Tohru felt herself completely defeated by fear. This was nowhere near the little league anymore. Fuyu was giving it his all and fighting the toughest opponents the crew had yet faced. Mr. 2 was indestructible, now he had to face Mr. 1! But the name Diz was the name Pin jii-san and Poni baa-sama's son.. This was the member who was stolen off by Akaiso! More importantly, what did this Migotsu and Fuyu have in common? Something must have occured in the past. Fuyu's background was never really revealed.

Then, she remembered! Fuyu was telling her something about a man.. 'Well, Zato's strength was impressive. I knew that if I joined this crew, he could help me to find the one I've seeked from several years back. He's a man going by the name Karo Migotsu.. I don't want to talk about it anymore.'

So he's the reason Fuyu joined Zato. Fuyu set out to sea to stop this man. Then..

Tohru's thoughts were interrupted when a penny rolled in front of Mike. He dropped down into the small cat form and went forward to inspect it. "No Mike!" she screamed.

_Boom!_ Tohru dived in the way just in time and took the hit. Mike was thrown aside and enraged. "Tohru!!" he sobbed. The smoke cleared and she lay on the ground completely injured. "No!"

Mr. 2 and Ms. Penny were nowhere near through with their act. Ms. Penny jumped into the air and poured hundreds of coins down on the two pirates. "Ah!" Mike cried. The explosion was ten times more powerful than the last; fortunately, Mike got out before suffering the impact. Tohru lay slouched over his panther back, unconscious, and Mike ran like he never did towards the exit.

"Don't let him get away!" Penny screeched. Diz thrust his sword into the ground to spark a powerful lava fissure. It wrecked the beautiful auditorium and even managed to strike Mike. The panther tripped in his trail and tumbled over; Tohru landed several feet away from him. Both were helpless as 2 and Penny charged them.

_Whoosh!_ Tohru had deceived them all, and she was on her feet again fully armed. This time, she released multiple shuriken at once. Diz and Penny were swift in knocking them away.. but they missed Tohru's next move. She held a massive shuriken in her hand, this one known at the Demon Wing, empowered by wind magic. "Try to stop this next combo!" Diz and Penny were making their way towards her. Penny shielded herself from the oncoming wind with her the top of her snapped parasol while Diz fired a lot of lava in Tohru's direction.

"Time to shine.." Tohru whispered. She literally jumped up on the Demon Wind Shuriken and used smaller ones to provide the force to move forward. Her flying transport projectile rode over the lava and wind and came right into Diz and Penny.

Tohru jumped off and kicked it straight into Penny while she jumped right at Diz. Using her rods as her weapon, she brought down against Diz's incredible sword. "That's not the point of this though.." Tohru smirked. She applied pressure to the center of her rods, pumping the smaller shuriken out of both sides to produce a circular current around her and Diz. Then, she pushed down against Diz's sword and kicked up into the air. The wind currents lifted her higher and higher, and she managed to create a propeller with the few remaining shuriken and her rod to drift back to the exit safely.

Penny had been torn to pieces by the impact of the wind, and her purse was cut up as well. Coins endlessly poured out, and as each hit the ground..

The explosion was unimaginable. Both Diz and Penny were caught in it. Tohru had no time to look back, she grabbed Mike [who had reduced to the cat form] and hurried out of the room.

Meanwhile, Migotsu hovered around the stage in means of taunting Fuyu. "Quit playing games and just fight me," Fuyu snarled, exuding more dark magic. Migotsu was surprised that he had been able to produce such a force.

"Alright then, let's begin.." Migotsu muttered. His darkness produced a vast number of creatures that soared over Fuyu. "This may not be a fun game anymore, but it's still a game. Everything's a game, little Fuyu. Only this one has your life at the stake. And the odds show that you're clearly at a disadvantage."

Fuyu spun in time to block Mr. 1 from clawing him. He shielded himself from Migotsu with his nitoryu and finally gave enough power to send him flying back into the barrier. The rest of the shadows in the air swooped down to slash at Fuyu, but he saw through the illusion quickly and ran past them all. "Karo!! Is running away all you can do!?"

"Tsk tsk, Fuyu. Don't refer to me as Karo, it's disrespectful. Didn't I always teach you to refer to your elders with -san?" Fuyu felt his opponent's magic pushing him down to the ground and forcing him into a bowing-down position.

"Damn it.. release me already," Fuyu cursed.

Migotsu shook his head while chuckling. "No Fuyu, hehe, I'll just keep you as my puppet until you learn your place." Fuyu's hand was forcefully gripping his sword and slowly bringing to his own neck. Shit, Fuyu thought, He's gonna make me kill myself. "Little Fuyu, you're not supposed to be alive you know. When I heard your name pop up here and there, it was rather disturbing. I thought it was all just lies. Even when I attacked your crew, it didn't seem like you. Well, until you chopped my arm off! I'd like to keep up the thing of you being dead, so why not teach you a lesson for coming back. You'll die at your own hands!"

Fuyu did all he could to resist his opponent's control, but it was of no use. "No.." he began to grunt out loud as the sword started cutting into his throat. "No... get... away... from..."

Blood was pouring from the wound as none had before. Just before the sword could sever Fuyu's pulse..

"RELEASE ME!!!!!!!!!" Fuyu roared. His rage exploded as it had never done, and the dark magic instantly vanished into thin air. The sword dropped from his neck and landed with a _clang_ on the ground. Migotsu found himself stunned in midair and soon plummeting down.

"Fuyu.. Sashimi.. this isn't you.." Migotsu moaned. Fuyu also dropped to the ground and clenched his throat. He was choking and dying from blood loss. Migotsu attempted to shoot a stream of _Meishingon_ at Fuyu; nothing worked. "How have you been able to perfect _nitoryu_ and even perform _soru, Meishingon, _and_, HAKI_! Your spirit can't be this strong.. you yourself can't be this strong! Diz himself wore you out, yet you're standing here able to stop me?!?"

Fuyu ignored Migotsu's words and focused on his own injuries. He did not even notice his own _Meishingon_ releasing out of his body and spreading across the theater battle arena. Migotsu helplessly faced Fuyu's nefarious strength. He began crawling away to stall for time - just enough to regain his power.

Mr. 1's darkness latched onto Fuyu's arm and swung him all the way across the auditorium. Fortunately, the _Meishingon_ had actually sealed up his wound and allowed the blood flow to continue. Unfortunately, nothing could heal Fuyu that quickly. The barrier around the stage seemed to have been dispelled, as Fuyu soared right through it and crashed into the massive side wall, tearing a huge hole through it in the process. "Fuyu, you may have a unique and powerful _Meishingon_ as I do.. the Dark Heart power and the Haoushouku Haki are abilities limited to one in a million, the _chosen ones_! But that doesn't mean they'll have the perfect use of it. My dark energy exceeds yours, because the darkness in my heart is much more powerful than that of yours, Fuyu! There's no way someone like you could match the likes of me! You've wasted enough time here, let's end this now!"

The battered swordsman was pinned to the wall some hundred feet off the ground. He stared weakly at his opponent, his rival for so many years. Migotsu was motioning at him with Fuyu's very own swords. Nothing could be done. He managed to take a glimpse of his surroundings and made sure that Tohru and Mike had gotten out... Mr. 2 and Ms. Penny were gone too. 'I'm stuck. I'm trapped. No way to dodge. No way to overcome it. I made it pretty far. I found my enemy. But I'm dying at his own hands. Damn, bad way to die. This was the moment I was waiting for all my life. To take him down. I'M NOT BACKING DOWN HERE.' Fuyu thought before roaring, "EVEN IF I NEED A MIRACLE I'LL DESTROY YOU!"

_Flunk!_ Fuyu's two swords didn't reach his body. A layer of dark magic formed in the way in time, decreasing the magnitude of the blow. Fuyu had prevailed. His hands reach over and grasped tightly to Migotsu's neck. "No..!" Migotsu choked. "Why are you so strong?!" Fuyu didn't wait any longer. He squeezed as hard as he could while bringing his leg up. The sword was flipped again into the air, and Fuyu caught it. His magic was overpowering Migotsu's, forcing the Dark Sage to be thrown backwards.

Fuyu dived onto Migotsu as the two plummeted down. He hacked and slashed at the top agent and shed no mercy. Mr. 1 could do nothing to save himself. It was over.

That's what they he thought when all the air and space literally exploded and imploded. It seemed like something from another dimension was distorting this one. Everything from there on was a surge and stream of blue and white rushing through their bodies. They had no idea what it was, but it easily sent them soaring across the auditorium and crashing through curtains. Fuyu's eyes were hammered back into the depths of the sockets, and his skin peeled off. His vision had been reduced to a field of only a few inch radius. He felt like like a bug getting sucked in by a vaccuum that was coming from everywhere..

Then he saw the black hole. This was Mr. 1's last move.

The face of Karo Migotsu flashed for a second before disappearing in the maelstrom. "If I'm going down Fuyu I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!!"

It was truly hopeless for him. He gave up, let go of his swords, and allowed himself to be swept away into the wrath of the _Meishingon._ The last thing he remembered was a blur of blue, different than the matter around him..

**The next chapter will show the outcome of Fuyu's battle! Plus, what's going on with Akaiso and Mimi? Zato!!? What happened to Mike and Tohru.. and Ms. Penny and Mr. 2? And the rest of the crew? You'll find out next chapter. Lol these are becoming long chapters now :)  
**

**Hope you enjoy and make sure you review! =D Thanks everyone.**


	25. Chapter 42: Return and Strike!

**Akaiso Works  
Chapter 42  
Return and Strike!  
The Burning Passion of the Star Pirates**

Fuyu felt the light snowflakes drifting down from the heavens above, as if some sort of enchantment were evoking him from the dark abyss. He was sickened by the sight of his own hands again, the mortal wounds covered by many patches. He made out his pale skin all over; he was cloaked with a sheet for his own protection;.. he was alive.

What all had happened? What work of madness had kept him, full body, both feet and both hands, and his head too? He had embraced the Gates of Hell, and he was prepared for it. His death had been set out. He had accomplished his goal - to seek out Karo Migotsu. He had never truly cared about the outcome, so as long as his true power would've been shown.

Yet he was still here. Fuyu Sashimi was perfectly alive, some hundred yards away from the back of a large base. An entire side had been stripped off from the impact of his fight.

He remembered _everything_, even the black hole enveloping around him. There was no way he could've survived a force of that extent. Nobody had been there to save him. It was just him, Mr. 1, and the wrath of _Meishingon._ The surrounding scene exploded with ultraenergy and multidimensional magic.

"What the hell happened?!?" he suddenly roared, his voice pounding through nature and reverberating through canyons and rocky mountains.

Fuyu looked all around him, and to his surprise saw the bodies of Mr. 2 and Mr. 1, both about twenty or so yards from him but in different directions. He was also surprised to have his sword back with him. "Only a miracle could've left these circumstances.." He began to trudge and limp through the snow towards his first target.

Mr. 1 lay perfectly still before him, though his eyes were wide open and glaring straight at Fuyu. His mouth was open and he began to croak a few words. "You.. lucky.. bastard.. why are you.. damn pirates.. so.. so..." Fuyu jabbed his right foot into Migotsu's face and sent his enemy rolling back a bit more.

"How much can you talk?" Fuyu mumbled.

Migotsu was too weak to even wipe the blood from his mouth, though he continued moaning. "Fuyu Sashimi. It's not over, not at all.. Akaiso is still strong.. you stand no chance against him... I am a mere pawn compared.. to.. Akaiso's ability! He is the master of all, he knows the secrets of this sea... he knows.. about the.. treasure at the end.. in the holy.. city... he knows the power of Pos..!" Just before he could finish the line, Fuyu thrust both his swords through Migotsu's head, finishing him off immediately.

"I don't wanna hear any of your bullshit. Get the hell out of here," Fuyu hissed. Migotsu's body soon dissipated, and the dark remains rose up and began to soar away with the wind.

"Fuyu... I'm not gone... we'll meet again!" Migotsu's last words pounded in Fuyu's head. And then, Mr. 1, the demon and dark prophet, was all gone.

Fuyu trudged over to the other body, this one motionless unlike the other. Half of Mr.2's body had been crystallized, and he was left a useless vegetable now. That was, if he was even alive. Fuyu slowly brought his sword down to Mr. 2's neck. He would finish off Akaiso's two strongest agents and be done. That was enough to help in their battle.

Then, he felt something pushing back against his blade. Mike had appeared out of nowhere and was holding back. "No Fuyu!! Didn't you remember?? This is Pin and Poni's child, the one that Akaiso stole from them years before! They told us to find him and bring him back!.. we at least have to.." Mike had stopped speaking and was now shedding tears. "I.. Fuyu.. I didn't mean to.. do that.. I didn't mean to kill him!! Please Fuyu, at least can we take him.. back to them??"

Fuyu was silent as he looked all over Mike for answers. Finally, he made his decision and thrust the blade back in its sheath. "Jinsoku, what all happened?"

Mike began to speak, and he didn't stop till everything was let out. Tohru had gotten him out of the auditorium safely and stalled for enough time to keep Diz and Penny away. They soon caught up and cornered the pair. Tohru held them back again with a gust, though it was of no use. Diz advanced quickly, and he nearly killed the two of them.

Then Tohru talked to Diz.. about Pin and Poni. How they wanted him so bad. How he had to return. How Akaiso was evil. Diz was stunned that they still wanted him. Diz couldn't believe it, confessing his hatred for Akaiso.

Penny took over and crushed Diz under a shower of pennies. Disgusted that he dare oppose Akaiso Works, she sent a wave of explosives that nearly obliterated both Mike and Tohru. They both took the hit yet still survived. Mike gleamed with blue fur, astounding Tohru. His transformation was nearly complete when Diz attacked them both. Tohru and Mike got away in time, and agreed to split paths.

Tohru had gone, Penny racing after her. Mike needed time, and he would do no good against both agents, even with a partner. Diz and Mike met, though Mike was at a new level of power. Diz talked about how he couldn't overpower Akaiso. He was foolish to challenge the authority. He was an idiot to go against Mr. 1 and Mr. 0, his superiors. He was a mere pawn. And his task was to kill Mike. As Diz charged mercilessly, Mike erupted with rage. His Sapphire Panther form had unleashed to full power, and it was now radiating unimaginable energy. Diz didn't give up, and he even slashed through Mike's body. Crystals soon reformed where the wound was. Mike could not be stopped here. He grew to incredible proportions and thrust his fist forward. A single punch smashed tons of energy through the air, and it all collided into Diz. The two were propelled back into the wall at the exact moment Mr. 1 released his black hole. Mike found himself soaring through, trying to catch Diz before he was sucked up. He noticed Fuyu and Mr. 1 as well. Everything around him was rushing at hyperspeed. He felt multidimensional forces and magic intertwining and creating a spectrum so intense for him. Just before the Black Hole could grow any larger, Mike released all of his power into it at once. It somehow managed to seal up, only because it wasn't large enough. Had it been any larger, he wouldn't have succeeded. Mike lay before Fuyu now, just as weak and battered as the swordsman was. "Please.. I couldn't take it. I underestimated my powers. I thought it wouldn't have…" Mike cried.

Fuyu was astounded by how much had happened. "So Tohru's on her own, huh?.." he sorta mumbled. Mike gave a semi-nod. "Don't die Tohru.." Fuyu muttered under his breath.

"Shouldn't we go check on the other pairs now?" Mike whimpered. "Right now Mr 1 and Mr 2 are out. Tohru and Penny are somewhere fighting. Neko and Olvia were against Mr 4 and Ms Ice Shard. Nick and Evian had Mr 3 and Ms Gourmet. And Zato, where is he??"

Fuyu was already up and moving again. He didn't care about the pain in his legs. He had been kept alive for a reason, and that was simple. He already knew the outcome of what would happen. He was foolish to even think about it, but he had to do whatever he could.

"I'm not done here yet, Mike," Fuyu whispered. Mike transformed into his true panther form and raced after Fuyu, trying to stop him. It was of no use - his battle before had left him crippled in his hind legs. He could go nowhere to catch up with Fuyu. "Fuyu!! Fuyu please!!" Mike shouted back.

The two had left Diz lying dead on the snow. He was motionless. But was he dead? His right eye, being the side that had not been paralyzed by Mike's devastation, suddenly blinked. He wasn't frozen - then he would've thawed himself alive; it was more of that many of his cells had been crystallized. It even appeared on his physical appearance. Diz rolled to the side to try to get some sunlight as the snow cleared up. He left himself pondering about his existence. "I'm seen as dead in their eyes. Pin and Poni wanted me home. But no.. not yet. These pirates are something. I have.. heard about their captain. I must.. meet him.." His voice kept low before it died out. Could Diz even get up?

Fuyu stepped into the base once more. He was returning to the realm of Akaiso. Something was calling him.

/\/\/\

Mimi could not believe her eyes when she entered the center hall of the Works. "Akaiso..!!" she screamed.

Mr. 0 came in behind her with a little interest shown in his eyes. "So this is the strength of the Star Pirates?" His entire army stationed in the base, and supposedly led by Mr. 1, had been slaughtered. Their bodies were stacked up in piles, and their blood dripped down till they were floating on puddles. Akaiso shook his head in disbelief, not daring to open the door in front of them. "I defeated Mr. 10 in this room ahead. The cat prisoner was also locked up in there, through the portal. What work has happened?" He went in to realize that both the captives were gone.

Mimi looked at Akaiso with a face of uncertainty and stress. She ran out to find a path of crystals. "It leads to the auditorium!" When they finally arrived, it was not their most pleasant day.

_Everything_ was destroyed. Only one section of the curtains remained, though it now lay covering a portion of the floor. The beautiful seats were torn apart, and the cotton inside them had easily sprung out. Half of the props were clearly missing. Something bore through every single wall, and the ash-covered stage incinerated with remains of lava. Even the stage lights came crashing down. The theater lost all of its appeal. "Akaiso, this _couldn't_ have been the work of seven pirates!" she shouted.

Now, Akaiso had been triggered. He gripped his ice staff tightly and loosened his robes to relieve his stress. His eyes could not focus on one point because the whole room was mauled and tainted with the curse of the Star Pirates. "Zato Alba.. your crew isn't this capable. I've looked at them all. What the hell is going on!??"

Then he saw the appearance on the destructed stage. It was the limp figure of Fuyu armed with both swords and a fragment of Meishin keeping him on his feet. "Fuyu Sashimi, tell me. Where are Mr. 1 and Mr. 2?"

"Dead," he murmured, and Akaiso cringed.

Mimi did not like what she heard one bit. She took a step forward, a huge breath, and then suddenly exhaled in a ferocious roar: "DIE!!!" She knew it would take him out. It worked on Zato, now why not him?

Why _not_ him? Fuyu stood perfectly fine after the impact, and Mimi was lost for words. "How did he survive that?!?"

Akaiso noticed almost immediately. "He's using the same power as Migotsu. Meaning something's unique about this child." Fuyu glared at Akaiso and shot forward with _soru_. He flickered in front of Mr. 0 and let both swords at him. Unfortunately, Akaiso was all of a sudden behind Fuyu as it had happened before. He nearly had his hands on Fuyu when, in a flash... Fuyu was behind Akaiso once more. He got a perfect hit and brought both swords inwards.

The master managed to thicken his body into ice just before the impact and thus saved himself. "You're just full of secrets aren't you?!?" Akaiso spat. Mimi dived into action there, for Fuyu's swords were stuck in Akaiso's body now. The swordsmen hurried to yank them out, but he was right in the way of Mimi's power. "KAZE!" Wind slashed towards him like scythes and, had he not pulled on his swords to swing Akaiso around in the way, he would've been decimated. Akaiso reinforced his body with a superb layer of ice, but it all scrapped off from Mimi's wind devil.

Akaiso now stood perfectly still. He hoped to get something out of Fuyu. "What's the use in fighting, Sashimi? We've already bested your captain. You're just standing here now, battered, destroyed. There's no way both Mr. 1 and 2 are dead. Tell me, how was the fight you just had? Where are they really? Did they head back to the kingdom since the rest of your crew is dead?"

"Nah. Your Mr. 1 Karo Migotsu.. how should I know whether he died. I stabbed him twice in the head after shattering his Dark Force. Mr. 2s good as a vegetable."

Akaiso clenched his fist tightly and swung his staff with as much might as he could. A blizzard stormed towards Fuyu. The pirate was quick to get out of the way, but he fell right into Akaiso's hands. Fuyu's arms and legs were instantly frozen to each other and the ground. Escape was impossible. All he could do was watch Mimi.. she began to transform violently. Her skin darkened and fangs poked out of her mouth. "This is my bride. This is the true Mimi. This is my love. This is the Cynic Demon!"

Fuyu didn't know what to do. 'Damn it. Did they really kill Zato?!? why did I have to live??! Couldn't I have gone down before? Why is this all happening? Mr.1s nothing compared to them,' he thought. 'He has the power of the Ice Staff, and she has a devil fruit. It has to be a devil fruit. She's been making what she says coming to reality. So if she says.. Death..'

"DEATH!" Mimi screamed. And Fuyu felt it. There was no stopping him. It was as if hundreds of poisoned daggers jabbed into his heart. He began to cough out blood. The pain was undescribable.

"Block Drop Star!!" a voice shouted in time, and the pain cut off. Fuyu saw Zato hovering down in front of him. He was in perfect shape. He was in majestic form.

"Fuyu, take a break," the captain grinned. "You've been through way too much."

Mimi was now on the floor. The entire effect of her power had come back. She was bleeding insanely. She didn't know why, but it was Zato, the real Zato Alba. He was alive. He was incredible.

"You're a hero.. don't screw this up.." Fuyu sighed before he collapsed for good.

**I went on another hibernation spree. My bad, I'll try to keep it up. Academics and Nanowrimo are getting in the way.**

**Next Chapter: With Zato 'revived', it's time for the captain to take over. Fuyu's gotten destroyed from Diz, Penny, Migotsu, Mimi, and Akaiso. Speaking of Mimi, poor soul can barely stand in front of Zato. What happened to Mimi before? Keep reading! Hope you enjoy, and make sure you review!**


	26. Past Story 1: Mimi Reishouteki

Akaiso Works

Past Story

Chapter 1

Mimi Reishouteki

Zato was face to face with both Akaiso and Mimi once more. He didn't hesitate at all. He shouted, "Mimi!! What have I told you!? Don't let him keep you as his slave!! He's not your ally, he's using you! He's using everyone! You don't deserve this!!"

Mimi unfortunately went on the offense. She propelled herself forward and clawed Zato. Having a firm grip on him, she roared out another word. He was expecting to be murdered from her excrutiating pain. Instead, the floor caved in and formed a hole in the ground. The two of them plummeted downwards into a dark abyss. Before Akaiso could pursue, the ground sealed up. "Mimi.. what are you up to?" he mumbled.

The two kept going down, and it seemed like miles until Zato hit something. Cold metal. Everything around him was pitch black. He couldn't see Mimi; he couldn't feel her anymore either. Where was she?

Suddenly, the lights snapped on. Zato looked around, but he was surrounded by walls. Just walls. The floor was covered sheets of aluminum pressed together into tiles while the walls were plain white. Mimi stood about five yards from him. She didn't move, she just watched Zato get back up to his feet. "Zato, why do you keep coming back? Why..? Akaiso is undefeatable. I'm trying.. to SAVE YOU!! You could've run away from here. But now it's too late. Akaiso's gonna destroy your crew one by one!"

Zato walked forward towards Mimi with menacing eyes. "Zato, if you don't leave I'll just kill you!" she hissed once more. Zato was now right in front of her. He thrust his arm forward and punched her as hard as he could in the face. Mimi went back pretty far and landed with a thud on the floor. There was a huge red mark on her face.

"Listen to yourself talk Mimi. AKAISO ISN'T YOUR MASTER! HE'S USING YOU. He doesn't think of you as anything other than a mule. You have something he wants, and that's the only reason he has you. His love, it's nothing. Think about yourself. Think for yourself. You don't need him all over you. You're the only one who controls yourself!!! Quit hiding your feelings and make something out of your life!!"

Mimi was flooding with tears, and with each her memories of the onus in her childhood began to spill out. It was exactly what Zato wanted.

/\/\/\

"My heart is cynic," she whispered. "Because it was crushed years ago. I had nobody to turn to. I wanted to die."

Mimi was born and raised in South Blue. Her father was a warrior while she worked in the field with her mother to make a living - they grew corn. Unfortunately, she discovered a rare plant in the field and took a bite out of it. Little did she know of the Devil Fruit, the Shinikku no Mi. Her presence became extremely dark, and it seemed that her words would come to life. If she cursed someone.. they would soon find themselves dying. Even her parents feared her identity. They had no idea what to do. They loved their child, but did she love them back? Mimi did, but her heart was covered by a layer of darkness. The people wanted her to leave for her 'sins'. She was outcasted, yet the more she was shunned, the more the hate built up in her heart.

Unfortunately on a calm day, camel nomads invaded the small town. The townspeople screamed for help, but none came. Mimi's dad attempted to hold them off, but they set fire to the farm. Everyone fought, but the nomads fought back harder and prevailed. Mimi tried, but the bedouins took her captive. Though the town was left in wreck, they felt blessed that Mimi was gone from them. And it wasn't even their actions.

Mimi's dad pursued the nomads for two days to the west. Her mom waited worriedly back at the town with only few comforting her. The nomads arrived at a post and presented their two captives: Mimi Reishouteki, the Demon Heart, and Ralph, a strong male teen. She was only twelve, but he was much older and developed at the age of fifteen.

Ruben Reishouteki, her father, attacked in time with the help of a few townspeople. Mimi was hopeful once more when the warriors annihilated most of the bedouins. Until... the cannonball erupted and killed three of them. Ralph's father was one of those to fall. Ruben rose from the flames covered in blood and ash. He did not believe his eyes when he saw the massive Marine Battleship right in front of him. He thought it had come to help.. he was clearly mistaken. Ralph flipped through documents and contracts to realize that some divisions of Marines, specifically those involved in the Tennryuubuto Slave Trade, had hired mercenary of all sorts to do their job. In this case, desert wanderers who tore through innocent towns.

"Ralph, what are you saying?" Mimi cried.

"The Tennryuubuto are a group of wicked nobles. They descend directly from the kings who founded the World Government almost 800 years ago! But these guys, they profit from a huge slave trade that covers the whole world. People who were captured.. like us.. would be shipped off to one of thousands of posts or prisons. Eventually we'd be auctioned off to lunatics and rich bastards who abuse people. Once we get captured, we're slaves!" he whispered. The words came at her too fast, and she was in disbelief. She shook her head and cried. She didn't want to live a life like this. She'd rather stay at the town. Why, WHY did it happen to her??

The marines began to pour out of the ship and into the Bedouin post. They shuffled past Ruben who was stricken with confusion. Then, he was thrown back. A huge figure stood before him, gritting his teeth and smoking a fat cigar. "Who do ye think ye're tae mess wid de camelfolk I gave goood money tae??! Huh, answer me boi!!"

Ruben dropped his blade and shook his head. "Please sir.. they kidnapped my daughter. You're an officer, you have to help. Bring about justice, put a stop! Please!"

He pulled the cigar out of his mouth and blew a ton of smoke into Ruben's face. "Harharr, yew serious?" he coughed. "Aite I'll make a deal wid yew. I'll give yew yer daughter back, if'n yew offer yerself up tae us!"

He was confused, but his daughter could be rescued. So he said yes, not knowing what his fate would turn up as.

Ralph fought hard against the cruel marines that entered his domain. He killed one but the rest tackled him down. Mimi was cornered at the back of the room. They had their guns pointed against her.. she gave them a menacing glare, and the whole front line fell. When the officer began calling back his troops, Mimi unleashed herself and lost control. Someone else was in her.. a cynic demon. Most of the troops were killed.

The huge officer dragged Ruben by the neck and shackled him to the mast pole of his battleship. The surviving troops filed back in with Ralph and Ruben as their slaves. Ralph broke free once more.. and he dived off deck. Mimi emerged from the post staring at a ship sailing away in the horizon. She was covered in wounds, and all she saw was Ralph's body mostly cut up as the waves pushed it back to shore. She had lost her father, the only person who cared for her, the man who had sacrificed his life for her own. He was now off somewhere serving a cruel lord, or maybe even dead.

Ralph was dead. Her dad was gone. She limped back to the town in a week. Along the way she found a small dried up watering hole and drank from the remains of sandy water. When she returned, she was grimly greeted by a few familiar faces circled around a fire. Everything was gone. She asked around only to find out that the bedouins had launched another assault on orders. The marines had discovered that their officer let a powerful child slip out of their hands. She was now wanted with a small bounty of 1,000,000 Beri for a made up crime.

"They'll be back," Ralph's mother hissed at her. "The only reason they destroyed our home.. is because you still lived. It's all your fault!! They killed your mother too!!" Mimi dropped to her knees sobbing. She was being blamed for destruction of everything. Her mother. Her father. Ralph's father. Ralph. "You don't deserve to live!! Ruben should be alive, not you!!"

And her rage awakened, and Mimi killed Ralph's mother. The survivors did not hesitate one bit.. her own neighbors and the people she grew up reported her.

Her bounty was raised up to 100,000,000 for a true accusation. She was responsible for the complete annihilation of the town Ukita. Nothing was left for her. She escaped in time and was on the run.

Mimi had nobody. Her father had given his life for her. She was left a dying and cynic heart.

**Mimi's past continues to the next chapter.**


	27. Past Story 2: Mimi Akaiso

**Past Story  
Chapter 2  
Mimi Akaiso**

Mimi's eyes snapped open to be greeted by the intensity of the sun beating down on her. She was in some desert lying on a rock in a black gown that she had recently stolen from a clothes store. Her life was now like a scavenger. Yet here, she heard voices. It killed her to hear the sound of people. The world around her had trapped her in a ball, and they slowly compressed it so that she was running out of hiding places. Where to go? Where to hide? She could've been on the opposite side of the world from her hometown. Or she could've still been on the island itself. She had no clue. She had no direction. She had no place. Nothing was of any use. Mimi lost all hope.

She remembered long back in the Academy she had told her class she wanted to be a princess, but she got the response of paper thrown at her and rash comments. "Ahem, Mimi Reishouteki, come outside with me." The teacher dragged her out and spoke her opinions. She wanted to strike Mimi hard with a ruler for speaking out so blatantly and absurdly. She explained to the young child that she was a threat. She was evil and cursed. She should be executed for the number of 'accidents' she had caused. A princess? She had no chance. "The only reason you're left alive is because your father, Ruben, is an honored man. Your whole family line served us well.. except _you_. Quit dreaming and just get out of the way." Mimi was still too young to understand. She didn't understand what pain she had inflicted. Her tears meant nothing to herself and the people around her. She didn't realize the true nature of the world.. until the world stabbed her in the back.

And now, looking back on everything, Mimi hated herself. Why didn't she kill herself long back instead of having to suffer at this point? She wanted to die because the lord had cursed her. She wanted to die because her dream had been shattered. Like a spear thrust straight through it. Mimi was the immobile mirror that reflecting everything physical and emotional back and could not escape its fate as God toyed with her.

Why _was_ she still alive? Mimi was stricken with confusion and depression as she once again pondered her existence. Only this time Mimi was alone. Her father was all gone. He was the last chance of her living. Where could he be?, she wondered with a sob as she retreated behind the bushes. Mimi watched the travelers moving towards the Grand Kingdom on their majestic carriage. She watched as the mother hugged the child tightly. The young boy was a bundle of happiness. His father smiled and whispered something to the driver. He whipped the horses and they carried on to their destination.

It made her mad. Why couldn't she live a life of that such. As anger bottled up in her head, Mimi roared in pain. A fissure crashed through the earth and slammed into the carriage. The horses were startled and snapped free. They dashed off immediately while the family was buried under debris. Mimi took a step back and fell to the ground. Damnit, she thought. I did it.. again.

As she ambled through the streets of the Grand Kingdom, disguised under a hood and whatever silk and robes she found, Mimi got her hands on a flier reporting the death of a royal family.

A civil war began with both sides of the country blaming each other for the death of the prince and princess. "WHAT DOES SHE HAVE THAT MAKES HER A PRINCESS?!" Mimi shouted out. Her voice seemed to push people back in the streets. Then, somebody noticed.

"Hey, isn't that the.. girl with a 100 mil bounty!??!" The people were jostled and poured after her. She ducked into the sewers just before she was found once more.

And then the government decided, in order to halt the Warring States, that Mimi was the culprit. Her bounty jumped up another 50 million Beri while the citizens of the Grand Kingdom quarreled amongst themselves to determine who was deserving of the 100 million Beri for finding Mimi.

Mimi discovered the true nature of people, and she hated the world.

Suddenly, Kniex 'Storm' Akaiso, now a Shichibukai after he obliterated the Star Saber pirate crew led by Warren G and bringing an end to the Lightning Kingdom's superpower, Lightning Thief Ranpu, publicly announced his determination to find Mimi Reishouteki and bring about justice. Mimi felt an unwanted presence always hovering over her shoulder. She lived now in the sewers and collected whatever waste came down. She often did one-act one-actor plays, naming herself the Forceful Evangelist. She was not confused. She just believed in burning everyone. Sometimes the toads would join her, and she was lucky one day to catch a snake. Mimi could've easily slammed her head against the wall to get a good concussion, or she could've easily drowned herself in the contaminated water. But Mimi had no clue why she did not attempt to end her own life. Something was keeping her and she knew it. Maybe, as absurd as it sounded, it would be to find her father. Or avenge the death of Ralph. That officer was probably still somewhere out there. She didn't know what she knew.

One day, the water was too cold for her. It began to fill up. Before she could try getting out, it flooded. But it wasn't the regular filthy water.. it was more of pure icy water. Mimi was drowned and couldn't swim - she had a devil fruit. She still ended up in a strange room and looked all around to figure out what happened. There was a small dusty bed at the corner with a few sheets, a small stone ledge beside it that seemed to serve as a desk since it had a tiny lamp on it too, a few ancient skulls lying at a corner of the room, and two exits. One was a gated-off waterway, and she guessed that was how she got in. The other was where she looked into - a path leading out of the room and into pitch blackness. Mimi was clearly in a jail cell. She lay down on the stone and watched a light slowly seal up the darkness..

A young teen entered the room. His robes went down to the floor and he dragged them as long as he walked. With a small candle in his hand, he spoke back, "That is not of your concern, but you are definitely wondering where you are, so I will tell you. You are in the prison cells of the Grand Castle. Fortunately, neither the king nor the queen know of your presence. You are being held by another individual who works for them. He would like to have a word with you." Mimi sighed for a moment, thought a bit, and then nodded. The boy escorted her for quite some time through many chambers and many halls and many stairs, all of which were as grim as her own cell. Bones were scattered randomly in all rooms, and cobwebs had accumulated in every available space. Both she and her escort were silent because there were no words for the moment. Mimi was being called by someone. She had to risk it to get a chance.

Then, he stopped before a massive door and hit the knocker. There were a pair of torches hanging from the sides that lit and even suits of armors lining the hall around it. Each stood tall and erect with a menacing battle axe. "What.. is this place?" Mimi whispered. She stared at the artistic patterns that carried throughout the walls and the ceiling. "This is no ordinary building. Where did you bring me??!"

The door swung open and the boy entered. It seemed to be an office room.. only it wasn't. Just a desk with a huge royal chair behind it. Sitting in that chair was a royal figure. He had the most luxurious possessions, like beady and jeweled necklaces hanging down from his neck and ornate scimitars slung into his belt. But what scared Mimi the most was that this being had a mighty hat on his head with the symbol of the World Government. "Mimi Reishouteki. You are more beautiful than I have heard, you are more remarkable than I could imagine. To think you assassinated the prince and princess!"

Mimi was worried now. Some man serving the world, her biggest enemy, had her wrapped around his finger. She was caught and she had no clue what to do. "I.. I.." she stuttered. "No.. I can't be.. done through.." she cried. Maybe I should try fighting.. back.., she thought to herself with fear.

"So you've realized haven't you?" he chuckled, standing up and unbuttoning his vest. She stood firmly in front of him, not daring to make a move and he exposed his body to her. She took careful detail to the mark across his chest and cringed in fear. "I am indeed the Royal Shichibukai Kniex 'Storm' Akaiso. But you see this mark shows my true intentions. I am no servant of the World Government. I am a rebel. I am fully against them. That's why I took particular interest in you, Mimi. We are very much the same."

She tried to avert her gaze away from him, but when he rose his arm something froze her still. She was stuck in the same position, forced to watch Akaiso as he spoke. "Mimi, we are the same. We both think poorly of the World Government. They tortured you.. they crushed your family.. they destroyed your home.. they pitted your people against you.. they put you in the way you are. Everyone is evil. The nature of mankind itself is selfish and rebellious. As much as we deny it, we too are like that. But we cannot just sit back. I lost my love to a scoundrel before. I brought him so far, and he dropped me at the end. Captain Warren 'Saikou Jentou Bouryokudan' Tarento G. Chan, a legendary and dark man. He robbed me of my love, the most beautiful woman in the world. I couldn't just sit around and let him do so. Therefore, I crushed the Star Saber pirates. Obliterated them and froze Warren solid. I cast his crew away one by one and then nearly had him dead when.. another rebel attacked. I took that rebel as prisoner and lost Warren. He's probably sunken by now, dead at the bottom of the sea. But I lost much even though the government upped my status. I was pissed. I was destroyed. I lost my LOVE! For that reason, I do not wish to see another receive the same fate. When I spotted you at first, from the account given by Officer Regaru Adderbones, the man who took your father away, I was blown out of my mind. You are the true woman of my life. Mimi, marry me, and let us spend the rest of our life together. I will promise you happiness as we rid the world of evil. We can erase it. The true evil isn't us, it is everyone else. Pirates stand in our way. But we shall take up an organization from here on out. We shall be Akaiso Works. We shall conquer this world under our strength. I love you Mimi."

Akaiso loved her, and he wanted her power to rule with her. He wanted her to discover the secrets of the ancient Blue. Because there was something that only she could accomplish. Mimi didn't know what to say, and therefore she took his hand into a new world of opportunity.

\/\/\  
/\/\/

Mimi pushed herself off her knees and, with her quivering arm, wiped away the flooding tears. "Zato, I'm sorry. That is just the way it is. Akaiso was the only one there. He was the only one who reached his arm out for me to grasp. He pulled me into a new world. He pulled me out of the darkness and into the light. He gave me freedom and let me show my true colors. He promised me that I'd find my father once we brought down the World Government. He told me that my Devil Fruit was a secret one and it would be able to unlock the mystic treasure of this world! Compared to everyone else, Akaiso is a god to me. I.. I.."

Zato watched her carefully with his own watering eyes. He was stunned by the hardships the had endured. "Mimi.. Akaiso.. he doesn't want you. He's been using you. The treasure of the world is his only goal. Conquest is his only goal. You are his tool for success. He hasn't given you freedom. He has forced you into carrying out his bidding. You're just a dog to him. Mimi.. people are evil. We all are. We are all selfish. But he poisoned your mind. He threw you on the wrong path. He has no concern for you. Please Mimi, come with us. We are your real _nakama_."

It hit her hard enough to pull her up onto her feet with passion and vigor. Mimi finished. "I want my freedom." From there, Mimi fell into Zato's arms - he had flickered just in time to catch her. A grin prevailed over the tears that now shadowed his face. He was happy. Mimi had won over herself at last.

**Here ends Mimi's past. Next chapter picks up the action again.**


	28. Chapter 43: Arrival of Buster Call

**Akaiso Works  
Chapter 43  
Arrival of the Buster Call**

Akaiso was anticipating the trapdoor beneath to slowly open. And he was hoping to see what he saw right then. Mimi ascended upon a semi-crushed elevator with Zato unconscious and hoisted over her shoulder. She gave Akaiso a cunning charm and cast the victim to his feet. "Easy prey. Now let's get going, don't wanna wait too long huh?"

Akaiso watched Mimi walk straight past him in an unwonted casual manner. "Seems like something big must've happened down there.." he chuckled. He began to move towards the exit door of the lobby they were now situated in. Unfortunately for Zato and Mimi, he was good at watching his back.

The Shichibukai spun in time and swung his staff with much aggression at the captain who was soaring at him. Mimi had given him a boost, and Zato prepared to smash Akaiso from behind. Zato was moving at enough speed, however, that he did not suffer against Akaiso's counterattack. A strong collision met it and both were pushed back. Akaiso glared at both his opponents now with semi frustration. "Easy prey, huh? So this is what it's come to Mimi? You took him down so, let me guess, you could talk to him. And he must've beaten some sense into you."

"You really were using me, huh?" Mimi whispered. "Even though I was lost and I had nobody."

"Well I see no use in you anymore. Your powers have worked enough. I've gotten what I needed from you Mimi. Perhaps you were a tool. But let me tell you this.. my feelings for you, they were never false. And for a wife to betray his husband in this way, there's no way I'm gonna spare you!" he roared. Zato saw him flicker and reappear behind Mimi.

"Mimi move!" he cried. Mimi didn't see the attack come. His icy palm nearly had her, but Zato blasted straight through Akaiso's frozen arm and tore it off. Akaiso grasped his staff firmly and absorbed energy. His arm reformed quickly.

Mimi dived away, but Akaiso went after her again. He popped out of the ground in front of her and caught her by the throat. Mimi struggled to cry out a command, but he clenched tightly and nearly cruncher her throat.. when the entire roof blasted down.

Akaiso hurled Mimi across the room and dodged rubble. He formed an ice barrier around himself and watched Zato dive to catch Mimi before she hit the wall. The entire base was crumbling down now, because a gigantic cannonball had hit it. Akaiso knew something was familiar.

Evian carried Nick by supporting him on his shoulder and got outside just before the explosion. He looked back at how much damage had been caused and saw that only the northeastern portion lasted. That was the complex maze connected to a series of warehouses. He continued further and saw Olvia tending to Neko on the snowy ground. "Olvia!" he shouted out, and she was stunned at the sight of Nick. He was fried and unconscious, perhaps even near death. Neko was a bit beaten, but still okay. Evian had many cuts across his arms and a huge wound curving around his forehead to the back of it.

Mike appeared soon enough with Fuyu. Fuyu was by far in the most disastrous condition. The six Star Pirates were together at the west side of the base now... they could make out the Frona Kingdom over a mile away. Smoke rose from the majestic palaces. "This is horrible," Mike sobbed as he recounted Fuyu's battle to the group.

They each told their stories and in the end, agreed that Nick and Fuyu needed the most care. Mike sat down and worked on patching up their wounds and trying his hardest to restore their breathing. Olvia looked around, a bit worried - Tohru hadn't returned from her battle yet! "Mr. 2's partner must be keeping Tohru busy. I hope they're alright!"

Neko too was worried about the damage caused, and he was the first to notice to source of the demolition - an insanely huge battleship was docked at the nearby shore and it faced their very location. In the snowy mist behind, seven or eight more began to sail in. "He evoked the BUSTER CALL!" Neko sobbed, and he ran around in disarray and madness.

Mike tried to focus hard, but he was under too much stress. "I can't... we need better support. Where is Zato and them?" The wind had begun to pick up at last. "This weather is too bad! We need to get indoors somewhere!"

The many Warships fired numerous cannonballs and obliterated the Frona Kingdom. It was a shocking site.. but what scared them more was when the base behind began to rumble again. Something deep inside was occuring.

"Tohru!" Olvia sobbed.

"Fuyu.. Nick.." Mike cried.

"Akaiso! Mimi!" Neko sobbed even more.

"Zato.." Evian whispered. "What's going on in there?"

They began to see the rubble in the middle churning up. Focusing in the scene, Zato stood by Mimi while Akaiso allowed the earth to play its game. Something underneath was now coming out. "I see that my whole organization has been destroyed. And since the Buster Call's here, there's not much more to do. Mimi comes with me. The rest of you can die on this island while I attain full power!"

/\/\/\  
\/\/\/

Vice-Admiral Agora stepped out of the ship and into the Frona Kingdom. His presence itself, and a mere glare, caused two buildings to incinerate. "The Star Pirates are here. So is Akaiso. But it is time I brought about true justice!"

The crowds of mobbing citizens slowly fell down to ash as well. Queen Nora was beaten up and tied down to the bed. She could do nothing to save her people. The government was carrying out Absolute Justice.

The Star Pirates quivered with fear and confusion. They had no idea what must be done. They could do no more. It was up to their captain.. but what was Zato doing?

/\/\/\

\/\/\/

At an isolated corner of the northeast warehouse, Tohru huddled tightly behind and underneath stacks of large wooden boxes. She heard heels pressing into the room and the _clad_ of each luxurious step by her opponent. "Lil' miss Tohruu~! Where are youu~~!"

Tohru kept her mouth shut and controlled her breathing. Ms. Penny _would not_ find her. "Come out come out wherever you aree~~! You can runn~ but you can't hiidee~~!"

Tohru finally sighed. 'I'll get her by surprise!'.. and stood up.. unfortunately she stood up underneath the boxes and hit her head. The boxes tumbled over and the stacks collapsed upon each other. Ms. Penny looked right past them to see the little girl fully exposed. "Eep.."

"Gotcha!"

Penny armed herself with a metal spiked umbrella. She snapped it open and sent tiny discs zipping at Tohru. Tohru swerved to the right and elegantly dodged.. but the young girl was no longer gonna hide. She was no longer gonna run. I'll take you on. Bring it!"

She whipped out multiple rods that were now connected by wire, allowing them to bend around. She had an ornate wind weapon and she slung it around a few times. With each swing, a stream of wind pushed at Penny. "Rawr," her opponent snarled, making a clawing hand motion.

Here began Tohru Makino vs Ms. Molly Penny.


	29. Chapter 44: Tohru vs Penny

**Chapter 44  
Wrath of the Mighty Wind!  
Tohru Makino vs Ms. Molly Penny**

The warehouse was filled with stacked crates, and who knew what was inside each very one. It had a small single-door exit that Ms. Penny covered up with rubble from a penny explosion. Other than that, the air conditioning continued in and provided a chilly environment. Tohru looked over at the massive window covering the entire side wall. It had been split up into hundreds of tiny squares, and just on the other side was the blizzard-struck outdoors. The floor of the large room was all just a large single tile. It was a bit slippery. Nonetheless, Tohru began the fight.

She continued to lash her rod whip out in front of her. Penny guarded herself from the gales and again shot discs at Tohru. These penetrated through the wind streams, but the rod chain clanged them all away. Tohru watched her windmill shuriken attached to the ends of each and every rod do their magic. It was like each and every one of her swings was a marvelous move back. She had come way too far to be taken down.

Penny snapped the umbrella open and close over and over. One disc skimmed right past Tohru's cheek, but she didn't know the ill fortune hidden within the tiny metal.. it an explosive just like her pennies. Tohru jumped away in hopes of escaping when she saw it split and glow radiantly. Unfortunately, she was caught in a trick within Penny's foil. This was a smoke bomb. Tohru couldn't do anything to escape as all the smoke surrounded her. She couldn't get out, so she had to fight it off! She spun around while holding her weapon straight out and whipped the smoke up.

"Nice try, but I'm still here," Tohru sneered as she stepped out. Only.. Penny wasn't there.

"Up here Missyy~!" Penny hollered. Tohru looked up and saw Penny floating near the ceilling. What was worse.. she right then unzipped her purse. Tohru had no idea of it.

Penny let the umbrella float her around in circles so that the falling pennies would be scattered all over the room. "There's no escaping this Tohruu~~!!"

Tohru screamed. She had no clue what to do to save herself. Penny came to a stop in midair right in the center of the room, directly above Tohru, and she snapped the umbrella back together. She came down following a huge spiral wave of explosives. There was so little time; nothing could be done.

Tohru shut her eyes and squealed. She opened them a few seconds later.. and found herself in a separate world. She was staring at her father. "Tohru, I warned you of the life as a pirate," he mumbled softly. Tohru looked at herself. She was back at home, sitting in the corner of the library like the young ambitious child, reading the great novels of female pirates. Nico Robin, Nami, and Boa Hancock were just among the greatest. Her dream.. she wanted to be like that! She wanted to be proud. She wanted to show everyone that a woman can do something. They hadn't gotten much respect.

Tohru began to sulk. "I guess I'm gonna die here, right?" she moaned. "Here ends the great Makino lineage. I'm sorry.. I just wanted to live out a life of passion!"

Makino smiled and held her tight. "You _can't_ die here, Tohru. There's no way that'll happen. Don't let this girl run you over. I know you'll win this fight. Show her your true colors. Make your daddy proud." He dissipated into thin air and left her to emerge back to the real world.

Tohru lay in a puddle of blood and tears on the ground. Her skin had burst and shockwaves had pulsed in through her body. What was the poor girl now? _Thud!_ Penny landed on her back from above and jabbed the back of Tohru's head with the tip of her umbrella. "Hehehe, now that was so easy, huh?"

Tohru quivered a bit and Penny was stunned. "So I'm wrong. You're still actually alive??" Tohru pushed herself up and knocked Penny away.

"That was not a cool move," Tohru moaned. "Don't think this fight's anywhere close to finished. I'm just about through with your bombs."

Penny shuffled through her purse and realized she had only a few pennies left. "I'm out of stock. I've had to waste it all on useless lumps like you. But let's not worry.. my daddy will _always_ give me whatever I want. We are the Penny's anyways.. the most rich out of all West Blue!"

Tohru didn't believe what she heard. "Pe.. Pe.. PENNY?! So you're not just Ms. Penny.. you're actually _a_ Penny!???"

Penny glared at her and said, "Yeah. So what? Jealous? Ha! Well, f you were an actual organization and not just some thieving pirates my daddy would've had ya'll hung by now. He's the best out of the best and I love him so much. He loves me too since I'm just so precious.. even though he makes me call him Mr. Rich or Mr. Penny to his face."

Tohru wanted answers. "You're a Penny! Your family crushed my family's reputation!! My father had to deal with all the crap your 'daddy' gave him!"

"No way. Don't tell me you're.. a MAKINO!!" Penny spat back in complete disbelief. "How the hell do our two families clash again!?? We defeated you guys after ya'll robbed us and betrayed us!!!"

"ROBBED AND BETRAYED?? You guys were the ones who betrayed!!"

"WHAT THE HELL WE DID _NOT_! THE PENNY'S ARE HONEST AND SUPPORTIVE. We helped you out, we brought you so far before you took advantage of our power and stole from us!! You little cunning rats!!"

Tohru and Penny continued roaring at each other with each comment picking up in intensity. They're anger spilled out along with the full and first confrontation of Makino and Penny.

Something had occured between them before!!

**\/\/\**

**/\/\/**

Olvia helped Mike move Fuyu and Nick into the northeast side of the base. They were in a hallway when they heard much ruckus going on beyond a door. Unfortunately for them, it had been sealed off. "Some catfight. Sigh.. females these days." Olvia told him.

"It's gotta be Tohru and Mr. 2's partner!!" Mike exclaimed. "I hope Tohru pulls through..!"

Olvia looked around for Evian or Neko, both of whom could break in. She was kinda.. confused.. when neither were there. "WTF Where are Evian and Neko?!?"

Mike, having gotten away from the raging blizzard outside, didn't know. He was under too much pressure to care. He worked hard to heal Fuyu and Nick. Fuyu was breathing and his heart was restoring to a good pace. Nick's.. wasn't.....

Mike screamed out in confusion and anger. "AKAAIISOOO!!!" He worried whether he could save the boy who had accompanied them from Sharpshooter Island.


	30. Past Story 3: Saki I

**Past Story  
Chapter 3  
From Slave to King**

Once upon a time!, her father began as always. Tohru loved the story and begged him to tell her the glorious tale of the Makinos over and over. She sat in his lap by the warm fire as they rocked back and forth in the chair. By the time he was through with it, she was fast asleep. He left her on the cozy chair and covered her with her soft blanket as he shut out the lights and allowed her to sleep with peace.

Once upon a time there was a young peasant, almost twenty years of age. He lived alone in a small hut and went by the name Saki. The poor and hard working man did not even remember his own parents. He was raised as a slave in the vassal's manor and served as the roof mason, the Vassal Geruto Penny. While at home and whenever he could, he grew a small plot of corn behind his hut. Most of it went to Geruto; the rest was for himself for food or trade. He had been on good terms with this vassal and nearly had a chance of being bumped up to a knight.. when one unfortunate day he tumbled from the roof of the manor, landed in the flooded river, and was carried away by the current.

Geruto was very upset at Saki's disappearance and believed that Saki escaped - he sent a score of knights to seek out the slave and bring him back. "That scoundrel deserves nothing for his sins now! Catch him and bring him here! I'll deal with him accordingly.. but get him before the Marines and nobles come to check on our progress." Geruto ruled over them, but he himself bowed down to the deadly Vice-Admiral who would watch over the most dark and pathetic souls in the world - the Tennryuubuto. Those nobles, descending down from the creators of the World Government itself, would arrive timely and snatch all valuables collected by the vassal. Meaning vassals profited from the work of the peasants and laborers in order to fund their community so that the Tennryuubuto would profit from their stuff. The nobles would also check through all the slaves and take whichever ones they liked the most - unfortunately, if a slave had gone missing, they would feel challenged that someone else got these slaves. It had occured once where a slave wasn't there.. the Tennryuubuto abominated the entire manor and well as its surroundings. "You have less than a day! Be quick!!"

At the same time, Saki had stumbled upon a cave... and there was gold inside. He knew that it would help him and the vassal. Saki had managed to make his way back, but when he saw his house infested with knights searching through, he hid in the forest behind. Obviously they were coming in to find him. Saki sneaked past them and returned to his home. The Tennryuubuto had arrived and were in the manor at the moment. Plus, all the slaves had been called to assemble for the noble's return.

Saki hurried to the manor while the knights still roamed the forest and surrounding lands and made it in time. Geruto .. noticed his presence and erupted with rage in front of the noble. Saki attempted to explain his case and _tried_ to get to the part about the gold, but the vassal would not listen. Lord Ragar, the lead noble, disliked this slave's opposition and moved forward to deal with him. He began to lash at Saki violently with a whip, and the remainder of the slaves watched horrified with fear. "Stupid runt, look at yer. Can' even serve dar Gerudo well et all. If'n yew were mah slave, Ah'd give yer a good lesson or two 'bout yer place in society!!" He continued to lash and hack through Saki's clothes and body. Geruto couldn't stand his eyes and begged Ragar to stop - "the death of a slave will ruin our further goings!!"

Ragar instead shifted his attention and struck Geruto as roughly as he could. Saki did not believe what he saw - his master who had always been kind to him and gave him a new opportunity.. _this man was getting punished in his place_!! Geruto cowered and ignored the noble's further actions. Just as Ragar turned around, he was met by a full fledged punch from Saki. Ragar fell to the ground with blood gashing out of his jaw.

Saki grasped Ragar by the collar and hurled him into the wall. The slaves did not believe what they were watching. They began to back off and some even escaped the room. "Sir Ragar!" a few soldiers cried. Ragar got up enraged and knocked the soldiers aside. He glared straight at Saki and Geruto and suddenly produced a thick gun.

"Both of you are gonna die. You had even the gut to lay a finger on a Tennryuubuto like me!"

"Noble Sir Ragar!" Geruto cried. "Please!! He was just misbehaving.. he's not a bad slave!! This isn't all bad, I apologize for his..." The bullet had already been fired.. and it blew a hole straight into Geruto's chest. He collapsed to the ground, cringing in excruciating pain without any idea as to what must be done. The knights hurried and lifted Geruto up. The vassal was crumbling from the damage that had been done.

"This maggot.. he oughta die!!" Ragar roared. The two other nobles with him shot without any aim or control and ended up killing a few soldiers and knights. Saki dived out the window just in time and swung from the balcony to the roof - his very own work post. The marines had surrounded the manor from all sides and spotted him immediately. Saki knew what must be done; he had to swim away. He leapt from the roof and into the river. The current swept away, but the marines had already caught his path and were following with rowboats. Saki needed to swim fast.. so he stripped and took the current to the right side of the river. Here was the trick, as the river forked off into two tributaries. One pushed straight for the dark woods and the mountains; the other headed for the plains and valleys. Saki swum hard and made it into the woods. The current fortunately swept the marines the other direction. They thought they were safe when they tumbled off a cliff and over the waterfall.

Sir Ragar had been attacked by a lowly slave. And that slave had escaped. The entire Rich manor had been broken down. Geruto escaped with many slaves on a rowboat before Ragar and the nobles could strike back. Ragar forced a bounty on the head of the slave Saki. Geruto was also given a bounty.

Here sparked the first rivalry between the Rich and the Makino. The Rich manor had been destroyed and they were now forced to go into hiding! Geruto promised himself that if he was ever to find Saki again, he would massacre the slave who had betrayed him.

Saki was fortunate enough to return to the gold. He accumulated it, but what was he to do? He had to change his identity..

Saki became Maki. He settled in a town and used his wealth to buy himself in big. Maki rose to being the mayor, and found a young and beautiful lady named Viola. They married, and just before his unknown Noble infection got the best of him, they had a child named Makino. Then, Maki began to wither away.

Makino was about seventeen when he noticed the worst of his father's suffering.


	31. Past Story 4: Saki and Makino

**Past Story  
Chapter 4  
Forced on a Quest**

Saki remained bedsick for months. It was a dark and dreaded plague that had stricken him, that's at least what the doctor had told Viola and Makino. Yet it was something unlike what they had seen. At the same time, it seemed familiar to the doctor.

The town worried very much about the mayor's case. People tried to visit him with hopes of finding a way to cure him, but Saki resisted and prohibited anyone from visiting him. He even shut out his wife. The only person he would speak to was his son Makino.

"My boy, I've entrusted so much in you ever since I started this family. I must explain to you everything!"

So throughout the full night, Saki told Makino everything about how he once was a slave. And if this was ever revealed, he would be in trouble. His illness was a rare disease that came from a virus growing on the Tennryuubuto's whip. Meaning anyone who had lived long enough to contract it was actually once a slave. That's why he was hiding it from the public.

Saki began to grow like a rabid animal, and the doctor was becoming worried. "Viola, I don't know what's going on. Since the town needs his strength and influence, I've called for a better doctor. He'll be able to realize what's going on with Saki."

Unfortunately, Saki continued to resist and reject the doctors. So this one was a secret visit.. Saki had no clue.

Makino found out in time and rushed to his father. There was so much to do in so little time. "Makino my son.. take all I have and leave. Get as far as you can. Your mother will not understand - she only married me because of my wealth. But by this time tomorrow, the professional team of medics will have analyzed my blood samples and discovered the truth. I cannot carry on any longer, but since you bear the truth, I need you to carry on the family lineage. Go Makino, keep it going! We were once slaves, we are kings now, and we may fall, but you can't let that stop you. My time has come to an end, you must continue for me!!"

Makino sobbed and refused to rob his father of everything and just flee. "I can't, I can't! Please, there _must_ be another way. I can continue it here!!"

"Viola is a cunning vixen. She has already planned for her brother to become the next mayor. They're converting this city into a monarchy. There'll be no hope for you, you must leave!!"

It was terrible because Viola was eavesdropping. She heard it all and beat the door. Makino was confused. If Viola got in, she would surely do something horrible. "Go Makino.. grab what's in the vault!"

"No!" Makino cried, but his father pushed him. Makino didn't want to, but he snatched the packet from the vault and dived out the window. In a few hours, Makino was recognized as a thief and the son of a highly wanted criminal. Viola was charged for association with Saki, but she escaped before she could be captured.

Makino now lived his life on the run. His father's dark secret was exposed to everyone, leaving the city in turmoil. Unfortunately, he was trapped. Nowhere to go.

Makino cursed his father for ruining his life. He revealed the horror to him of all people, making Makino a criminal as well. He hated the old man who had now taken all his hope away and left him a scoundrel running from the World Government. The Tennryuubuto wanted their hands on him. They wanted him, and they wanted him dead. He moved from island to island with just a parcel and tried to get away from civilization. What was there to do?

And so one day, Makino stumbled upon a large estate. Most of it was a royal casino, the Chateau de Rich. Makino sat down at the bar and ordered himself a few drinks as he watched the wealthy men gamble their lives away. It was a surprisingly calm place, but it was also a luxurious place. Makino had no wealth except whatever was stashed away in the parcel.

He watched mysterious figures lurk about. They were draped in long, dark robes. However, their presence itself intimidated Makino.

Regardless of that, Makion stepped up to the bartender and made a soft request into his ear. The bartender slowly nodded and led him to the back storage room. The dark figures eyed Makino carefully; they timely split up in all directions when he disappeared into the back.

The bartender pulled a latch on the floor and opened a trapdoor. He told Makino to sit in there while he would find the 'master'. Makino stepped inside, but the door slammed behind him. He was now left in the dark and chilly basement... alone.

The dark beings had already assembled on the rooftop of the estate. They were organized into a spiral that coiled around the tower. Their leader, who wore bloody maroon instead of black, stood at the very peak. He was balanced on a single leg with a sword stretched up high into the air.

Makino waited for nearly an hour before the trapdoor opened. He pulled himself out, yet he found nobody in the scene. In fact, the scene was completely different from what he had seen before. He was in a dim light room with two velvety sofas in the center, where the spotlight was. One was occupied. The other was set for him. Makino was sort of.. surprised when he saw the male and female together across from him. "Welcome oh humble traveler. Excuse us for a moment."

Makino did not really want to watch. "Go on. Speak up, I'm listening," the man said. He held the woman's naked body tight as a way of flouting his wealth and power. "You must be jealous. This is what I obtain from all I possess. There are benefits to being rich. This is by far.. my favorite."

Makino did not know who he had gotten involved with, but he had to take his chances. He was alone. He needed someone...

**//\\**

Tohru was cut off as Penny nearly hit her. "You liar!!" Penny screeched. "Makino trashed him in the middle of his sex! He injured the poor woman.. my mother!! You scoundrel, for you to even say something like that! ARRGHH!!"

Olvia screamed when she heard that and fell down. "Oh my gosh.. oh my gosh.. oh my gosh.. they're talking about.. se..."

Mike gave her an awkward look. "What did you think they were talking about?"

"I don't know!! I thought they were playing a game.. Oh my gosh, of all people.. TOHRU COMMITED PERFIDY!!"

Mike did not want to say anything back and continued working on Nick.

Olvia got up. She knew the next part of the story for some strange reason, so she extracted a Preserve Cloud from her head. She popped it, and everyone in the proximity (including Tohru and Penny behind the rubble) was caught spinning in her memories.

"I think I finally remembered who I am.." Olvia whispered before sitting down to eat a muffin she swiped.


	32. Past Story 5: Olvia, Makino, and Rich

**Past Story  
Chapter 5  
Olvia, Makino, and Rich Penny**

"I'm actually the lost daughter of the Grand Queen of the Sky. You know, the ruler of that place Zato's wanting to go to."

"EHHH!!!" Tohru and Mike cried out in unison. Penny seemed a bit alarmed as well.

"Ugh, what is this. You pirates sicken me, let's get on with the story already!!"

The Memory Cloud rushed through them, filling the rest of the tale into their minds. Olvia was the daughter of the Grand Queen Mahakyohaku. She lived in royalty with the 'gods' and many wise philosophers of the elite class. She was surrounded by wealth and fame. She was next in line to inherit the throne. Females ruled here because the Queen was declared as holy. Mahakyohaku never truly paid attention to her daughter - they rarely ever saw each other.

At the edge of this Sky Kingdom was the dreaded Cloud Gorge. If one were to be caught in the whirlwinds there, they would be sucked downwards and plummet from the sky. Olvia was strictly kept away from it. She had numerous guards who went wherever she did.

One day Olvia begged her mother, concealed behind a veil, to allow her to have a day to her own. Mahakyohaku hesitated and finally agreed. Olvia went off.. at the same time, the Kingdom's walls were breached by the Sunlight Invaders. Mahakyohaku attempted to get Olvia back, but the girl had already gone to the outskirts.. the invaders caught her and began to escape with her as hostage.

Mahakyohaku released a Sacred Arrow of Light which was strong enough to tear through the offenders; it continued across the kingdom and forced the remainder of the invaders into the Gorge. She had no idea that Olvia was among them.. so Olvia fell from the sky.

Fortunately, she controlled her descent with her mystic Kumo Kumo powers. Nobody from the upper sky understood,  
Meanwhile, Makino stood face to face with the mansion owner who lay clothless upon the couch with the female all over him. "Tell me who you are and what brings you here."  
"I think we need a more.. serious environment," Makino responded.

The man grinned and pushed the female aside. He tossed her down on the floor. "Serious?" Makino turned away when the woman was flung away from him. "I'm rich enough to afford another. She didn't give me much enjoyment in it anyways." The man began to motion towards Makino. "Relax, I'm not into you. But if you want my help I suggest you start speaking." The man suddenly knocked Makino back into a chair and lashes shot from the ground, binding Makino there. "I'm only trying to help." He began to pull his clothes back on and waited for Makino to say something.

The woman slowly got up and walked over to him. "Rich you are an asshole. I'll get you back later.. once you want some more from my body." She walked off and left the two together.

Makino began explaining his crisis, though not to the fullest details. The government was after him. He was screwed. He needed help. This man could help him.

"Ah.. I see. Well, I'll take you in easy."

This new man going by the name of Rich allowed Makino to join in his business, though he never took the new lad's name. Just called him Buck.. They worked together in the casino, but the load dramatically increased. The deal was, Makino would travel around the island on a caravan "borrowing" goods.. without asking and bring them back to the casino. He would move around as a rare hunter just like the others. Makino would receive protection and security in Rich's manor. He would sleep in the small compartment the bartender had put him in. Every night, he would assemble alongside the others. He had no idea what he was doing - he could not question Rich. The moment he questioned the owner, everything would crumble for him.

Rich organized a special feast to honor the Rare Hunters.. this was where Makino was put on the line. Rich brought Makino up and presented the new loyal Rare Hunter to the crowd. And at the same time, a female slave was brought out. "What..?" Makino wondered, but he was afraid to ask Rich what was going on. A fellow Rare Hunter began to explain. "Rich isn't your nice caring man. This isn't just a casino, it's a whorehouse. He has loads of them. He's jacked up in the head. If you want to formally be a Rare Hunter.. you have to prove it to him."

"What the hell did I get myself into!?" Makino cried.

"Harrr... get up here Buck and let's see what you're made of!" Rich howled, and the whole house began to go insane. People were getting excited to see this. They were insane freaks..  
Makino noticed the woman struggling to break lose of the chains binding her.. the sight disgusted him. He charged at Rich and knocked the man back, snatched his gun, and began firing. Rich went insane as well. Makino tried to escape.

He charged out the door only to nearly fall off the third floor. Something had happened.. the whole casino had shifted around so that he was hanging at the side. The Rare Hunters pressed towards him. Makino jumped and grabbed onto another ledge, then began firing upwards to escape them. The cloaked monsters followed close behind, crawling up the roofs like a snake chasing its prey.

Rich emerged out as well to see the Rare Hunters assembled like every other night. "Buck!! I'll get you!! Get back here!!"  
Makino was at the very top, not knowing what to do. Then, the missile came down from the sky. Rich had climbed up and grabbed him right there, about to stab Makino, when Olvia crash landed through the very tip and sent both tumbling down into the attic of the casino. They had broken through the roof.

Makino opened his eyes and unfortunately found hundreds of women just like the one who had been presented to him. Rich got up in a frenzy and swung his knife like a madman. Makino dodged while questioning the man.. "This is your business?! Tell me, who are you Rich?

"Who am I, huh? I'm a man who has been disgraced and destroyed because of the sins of my very father!! I tell you, it's all because of an asshole named Saki!!! He ruined us! HE KILLED OUR NAME! THE PENNY FAMILY CAN NEVER CONTINUE!"

The women began to clear apart and the same one from before that Rich was having it with came forward. She had one hand on her hip and was leaned to the side. "Saki.. that fool. He acted all strong and rich but he was just a criminal in the end. I lost much of what I had because of it. Rich here was kind enough to take me in.. he couldn't resist my body."  
Makino was blown away. "You lost.. because of Saki.. that would mean.. you're.."

"The name's Viola," she mumbled, pulling out a cigarette. Makino started walking towards her, and Rich became frenetic again. He charged and tried hacking him. Makino dodged once more and, this time, punched Rich hard in the stomach. "What's the matter hun. You want it too?" she mumbled again. Viola stroked her whole body.

"TO THINK THAT YOU'RE MY MOTHER!!!" Makino roared. He mercilessly punched her as hard as he could in the face. Viola flew back a few feet with a broken jaw. Blood was all over the right side of her face. "VIOLA!! YOU BETRAYED SAKI! YOU BETRAYED ME!"

"Ma.. MAKINO!???" Viola suddenly cried. "What the hell are you doing?! How the hell are you still alive?! You shouldn't be alive! You escaped though.. DAMNIT!"

Rich got up in complete anger. He was steaming now. "You.. you.. you're Makino? To think I had you in my clutches all this time. You're Saki's son? You're the son of the man who completely savaged my life!?? Your father crushed my father's reputation! The Tennryuubuto are.. THE TENNRYUUBUTO ARE AFTER ME BECAUSE OF YOU FIENDS!!"

Makino understood now. He was facing a Penny. He had come back to his enemy without knowing it. "I'm lucky you weren't accepted as a Rare Hunter. I'm lucky this has happened. Because I was planning to sacrifice you and kill you in my place. I knew that you were useless. You're nineteen. You're just a kid, it's a life, we can spare you. You're nowhere near as strong as any of the others! I was gonna sink you into the gorge nearby, since you're not old and huge and big like us. I would dump you in there, let you extract the Sacred Jewel in exchange for your life, yet you're still old enough to look like an adult. So you would take my place.. we would kill you and give you to the government in order to cover up my existence and my bounty!! That way I can continue in the darkness and conquer these lands and these seas!!"

The Rare Hunters broke in, and Makino had no idea what to do now. He was trapped in the worst spot ever. He tried to hold Rich back, but the rest of the Rare Hunters were charging inwards too!  
"Kumo Kumo.. Pulse!!" a voice suddenly cried out. It was the young girl who fell from the sky and landed on them. She somehow produced floating puffs that swirled through the room. Each attached to a Rare Hunter, and suddenly they electricuted and shocked the Rare Hunter. This new girl noticed the danger in the situation and caught Makino in a piece of puff as well. He suddenly was racing upwards.

"MAKINO!!" Viola screamed. "You asshole!! I'll kill you!! I'm your mother!!" Olvia did not care, she pushed Makino up and out. The two landed safely outside of the casino, and Makino turned back to make sure he could do something else. He dived inside and grabbed hold of a fire alarm. Breaking it apart, Makino applied a single match to the already shocking system.. then he ran as fast as he could.

Rich managed to climb back up to the roof, but it was too late. The entire casino erupted in flames from top to bottom. Makino found a boat and steered it as far as he could from the island. He had no need anymore. He had learned of Rich's seeked-out treasure. He found the Sacred Jewel that the Penny's had always had wanted their hands on.

Olvia had mysteriously disappeared after the incident. It didn't matter, because she randomly appeared once more at the cliffside of Makino's Windmill Peak. He had established this new settlement, and he was going to live a peaceful life. When he was thirty, he and a beautiful (on the inside) lady married. Unfortunately, his wife, Heather, died giving birth to the child Tohru. Makino was grief-stricken. He continued his life with his daughter. He knew that the past would return as it did to his father Saki. He was an adult now, and he was responsible.

When Olvia returned, fifteen years after the incident, Makino thanked her immediately for her kindness. Too bad Olvia had no clue where she was at the moment. She did not know her identity, she only recently discovered that it was a Devil Fruit she ate (the consequences were clear in the Blue Sea rather than the Grand Kingdom), and she needed somewhere to stay. She babysitted young Tohru (two years old), but her interest was clearly music. When Tohru was just three, Makino gave her a position as a musician. Olvia took the offer, but he also told her that she was to be Tohru's Godmother in case something were to happen to him.....

/\/\/\

"Wait, Olvia.. you're my godmother?!?" Tohru cried.

"Yes. And that is the real reason why.." she began, only to cut herself off. "Wait.. never mind. Let me continue."

Tohru understood what she was about to say and clenched her fist. She began to shed tears. "Why father.. why didn't you.. why can't I have.. freedom.. you did this on purpose!!" she cried out. "I hate you Makino!!"

Penny snorted and continued.

/\/\/\

What happened on the Penny side of the family..? Rich and Viola sickeningly survived the explosion. Most of the Rare Hunters and prostitutes perished in the flames. Those that did survive either rebelled against Rich or ran off to live their own lives. Rich and Viola took to the sea and accidentally ran into a marine base. They were captured by Akaiso. When their identity was revealed, Rich tried to fight them off. He was too weak to face the marines. He was just a man with money, and now the money was gone.  
Suddenly, Viola screamed. She was giving birth. Rich was enraged and hit her hard in the face over and over. "What is this madness!!? You told me you took the pill! You aren't supposed to have children!!"

Akaiso saw her pain and allowed Viola to be taken to safety. He confronted Rich and tortured the criminal, freezing his legs, bruising him all over, and even cracking a hole in Rich's head. "I can see your crimes are much more than the scam the Tennryuubuto set up for your father. You own a casino. You are involved in drug dealings. Fifty of your men were killed in an explosion, along with your casino. You had at least two hundred female slaves, your own prostitutes, and nearly all of them died. Is that what you think of women? They're just tools to reproduce??!" Rich felt the pain that all of his minions, servants, and the rest of the world had felt. He was battered and on the verge of dying.

That's when he made an offer. "Please.. I'll do anything.. to live.. I must keep the Penny name.. going strong.. I must restore the family's honor..!" he cried. "What.. must I do?!"

Akaiso locked him up in a vast frozen room and began to speak to him. "Your daughter is your responsibility. If she is to die in your hands, you will be executed. Though I should kill you now, I'll use you for my own good. Let me take your daughter and your wife. In exchange for that, you may remain here in prison for five years. After that, you will break out with my assistance. I'll restore your name if you fund my organization. You are a rich man. I know you have more money."

Rich refused immediately. "Why should I waste my money on you?" Akaiso swung his staff and the ice sank into Rich's skin and literally chewed it up. "Ahh!! Fine!! I'll take the offer! Five.. years.. it is!!"

Akaiso smirked and turned away. "You'll still have to suffer, Mr. Rich Penny."

/\/\/\

"So that's the torture that we went through, all because of you guys!" Penny scowled.

"Um.. not!" Tohru responded. "It's because of the idiocy that your family put us through!"

Mike was moved by the flashback.. and also disturbed. He suddenly yelled out randomly - he realized that he forgot to continue working on Nick!

Olvia finally relaxed. "Wow. That's who I really am. I guess it's over. Tohru, good luck!"

"EH!? You're just gonna leave me here?!" Tohru yapped, equipping herself once more.

Penny was ready to finish Tohru off. "I'll get ya'll back. You stole our most prized goal - the Sacred Emerald!!"

Tohru knew where it was. She split her rods apart and showed Penny the inside of one. "So that's what this little twinkle was. Hehe, my dad must've put it in right before I left. So he set me up for this quest.." Ignoring her hatred towards her father, Tohru dashed towards Penny. "Hyaa!!"


	33. Chapter 45: Ms Makino at Your Service

**Chapter 45  
Miss Makino At Your Service**

Penny's new umbrella swooshed left and right in a malevolent way. Every time Tohru sent a blast of wind at her, she would easily deflect it. Tohru pressed forward until she was just a few feet ahead of Penny. Then, she let loose a flurry of shuriken. Penny was prepared and thrust her parasol forth. The strength of the new material knocked the shuriken back.

Except Tohru was not in front of her anymore. "Get a load of this!!" Tohru shouted from above. One long attached rod smacked Penny at the side and flung her away. Tohru landed safely on the ground and stopped to catch her breath.

Outside, the wind howled wildly. It hammered against the window and clearly expressed the wrath of the blizzard. Tohru saw that most of the crates were reduced to crushed planks after Penny's extreme explosion. There were a few left here and there with the majority concentrated at the sides and corners of the room. Other than those, the window was the only other thing remaining in the room. Multiple panes were locked firmly together. It covered most of the wall. The wind was pushing and pull against that window all at once. Tohru knew that if that window were to shatter, they would both be sucked out into the madness of nature.

The reason? Six snow twisters brewed across the Frona lands. Two were spiraling around Akaiso's base. The rest were wreaking havoc on the Frona kingdom. The rioting had mostly come to a halt. Most of the citizens retreated to their homes. They were too afraid to face everything outside. One twister was already paving its own path through the kingdom. Two others circled aimlessly around the island. However, the last one was the big challenge to the marines at the shore.

At this point, six warships lined the coast. They were led by one larger than any of the others. This was the dreaded _Hell Corsair_ - Vice-Admiral Agora's ship. He was the son of Akainu, and he meant to get back at the Star Pirates for what happened back at Smoke Island. His father was a busy man who had to tend to business mostly in the Grand Line. Agora was required over here, where Akaiso was. "Damn Frona, such a cold place. But with my father's staff, this will end soon enough."

Agora noticed one ship explode as a snow twister took to the sea. "Admiral, what should we do about that!" an officer shouted. Agora grinned and waved his staff. The two ships to his right that stood between him and the twister instantly took to flames. They were sunken as the rest of the marines watched their leader in horror. "Admiral!! You just.. destroyed two ships!!"

"You foolish scoundrels!" Agora roared. He waved the staff once more and flames erupted from the sea. They whirled around the twister and eventually melted the snow down to water, which rocked the remaining four ships over a bit. "If you oppose me, then you can just go die with the rest of the kingdom. So tell me! Who's gonna be a chicken and mope over their deaths? And who's gonna join me and take out this land!! Akaiso has called us for a reason!"

_Hell Corsair_ fired four cannonballs straight into the Frona Kingdom. The center castle's south side took severe damage. The ships docked on shore and hundreds of marines poured out towards the kingdom. The citizens screamed without knowing what to do. They hid in their homes, and they were spared. Anyone in the streets or in the way, however, was immediately killed.

Tohru couldn't see anything because the blizzard clouded her vision of the outer world. But she heard the explosions. So she moved quickly. "Penny, it looks like there's a lot going on outside. Whaddaya say that we put an end to this fight quickly!"  
Penny got up, but she was shaking with anger like her very father did years before. "You.. Miss Makino.. I'll kill you!!" Tohru saw the knife in her hand and ran back. Penny was hard on her heels. "Die!!"

When Penny caught up, Tohru blocked the knife with her rod in one hand and her shuriken in the other. They pushed their weapons hard against each other. Each side tried to prevail over the other. But Tohru was distracted by the red stains on the knife. "So you've used that knife before to kill?"

Penny did not give in one bit, but she responded in a menacing way, "You haven't understood the meaning of our stories. Viola married both Saki and Rich. You know what that means?"

Tohru was horrified at the epiphany, and she was confused how she didn't realize it before. "My grandmother is your.. mother?! That means.. you're my aunt!!!"

"Yeah.. it sickened me that I'm related to my biggest enemy. So you know what I did when I found my mom? She was with Akaiso, moving close to him and trying to seduce him with her body. This was my mom. This was your grandmother. What did I do? I was a child, six years old. I cut her throat and her lips. I stabbed one of her eyes, and I shoved this up a place so that she could never enjoy her seduction ever again."

Tohru was even more horrified, and now she cringed with pain at the thought of what Penny did. So Penny had Tohru exposed just like her mother. The grip on the rod loosened. Tohru fell to the ground. She was vulnerable. "My father used this knife to try killing your father. It failed.. so I killed my mother with it. And now I'm gonna kill you so that you so-called goody good Makinos will come to an end!!"

All she had was one shuriken left. Not enough to stop Penny. She could only see the window now. All the blue madness behind it swirled around into the face of Penny. And then the devil. Hell was coming for her. What could Tohru do? "Fight the hell!" she suddenly cried out. Tohru flicked the shuriken. It was a Windmill Shuriken, holding the mystic wind powers within it. So it flew with quite some force and broke through the center of the window. Penny was inches away from murdering Tohru when the blizzard sucked both of them away. The knife was lost from her hands, except it was pulled in too. Penny was right in the knife's way and she suffered from it hacking through her cheek before soaring into the blizzard.

Olvia and Mike were sitting and waiting, but the blizzard seemed to pull them back against the wall as well. Tohru found herself hanging for her life. Her rod had barely caught onto a pane that had not shattered. She looked and saw the snow twister not more than twenty yards away from her. It was roaring. It was monstrous. Penny had been taken into it. Now what about her?! "I beat Penny.." she grinned. "I won. I'm the victor. Miss Makino here.. AT YOUR SERVICE MS. PENNY!!"  
The rubble blocking Olvia from reaching Tohru before was also brought it. Unfortunately, parts of it crashed through the pane that Tohru held onto. Tohru was then pulled in as well. A rock hit her hard in the head and she started to cry once more. "Help.." she sobbed. "Makino!"

The blizzard had gotten her. Now the twister was so close to her that there was no resistance. "I'm gonna die!" she cried. "I didn't want it to end like this.. not my pirate tale. Dad!! I'm sorry for leaving! Nobody can save me now!" Except she was wrong. Something caught onto her hand and tugged her back into the building. "Who.. who is it??"  
"YOUR NAKAMA!!!" Olvia, Neko, Evian, and Mike screamed. Olvia had managed to catch Tohru with Kumo rope. The rest of the Star Pirates pulled back as hard as they could. Mike had his legs hard on the floor and he was as large as he could get. He was not going to let Tohru go. "I'm your doctor! I have to save you! What would I do if I let one of my nakama go!?!" Mike roared and sobbed at the same time.

Tohru shut her eyes and found herself with Makino again. She was glaring at her father, but her father was smiling back. "I was wrong, Tohru. I was fully wrong. I didn't need Olvia.. well yes I did. But she wasn't necessary to watch you. You have found a truly beautiful group of nakama."


	34. Chapter 46: Tohru vs Agora

**Chapter 46  
Tohru Makino vs Vice-Admiral Agora**

Fuyu finally and once again opened his eyes. He looked at his body and saw cloth and bandages wrapped all over. Mike was a few feet from him. Nick's breathing was finally restored. It was scary. But where was he? Olvia and Tohru were the only other ones with them. Neko and Evian? God knew. "Mike, what's going on?"

"All of Akaiso's agents are finally defeated. Tohru just won her fight, and we got out of the base before it started rumbling like crazy again. Evian and Neko seemed to be with us helping.. but Tohru was just hallucinating. When I said nakama, all of her nakama appeared to her. Neko and Evian are missing, and they have been missing for a while." Fuyu seemed a bit confused, so Mike continued. "We're in the Frona kingdom. The hospital is piled up already. Those twisters are monstrous, and the castle is sorta collapsing. The rioting stopped. I think Akaiso's army has been taken out. Except the marines are really pushing in. Their leader is none other than our favorite Vice-Admiral Agora... We're in hiding right now though, in a small isolated culdesac that's hidden behind alleys. The Queen isn't answering the people's calls. So everything's chaotic."

Tohru seemed a bit hurt. She had lost her rod when the twister sucked her in. In it was the Sacred Emerald. But the whole thing was precious to her. It was a gift at a young age that her father gave her. And it was her last physical connection to her. Not to mention a good weapon too. She hugged Olvia tightly after understanding who she was. "So you're not that young, are you?"

"Well.. I'm not sure exactly how old I am, but it's something around the late thirties."

"Eh? Late thirties!" Tohru exclaimed. "That's.. old..."

Olvia dropped down sulking in a gloom. "Gee thanks for calling me an old hag."

"I.. didn't call you that.. besides you look good for that age."

"There you go again."

Fuyu tried getting up but he immediately fell back down. Mike went into a frenzy and berated him for pushing himself. "You're fractured! There's no chance of you moving freely without dying so _stay resting_!"

Smoke rose up in the sky. Tohru became a bit frightened at the sound of another explosion. Then, she saw the bodies flying. "Oh my lord! What's going on over there?" The booms died down under the screaming. People went in all directions.

Unfortunately, a bright figure appeared in the alley. In his hand was a familiar staff. He swung it, and a massive fissure went through the entire alley. This was more than just a crack though - flames poured out of the fissure and engulfed the surroundings. Mike grabbed Fuyu and Nick and pulled them to the right of the fissure right in time. Olvia and Tohru went to the left.

They were now cornered in this location by the massive and destructive character of Agora. "It seems that your captain recruited some more fools, no? In case you did not learn by now, I carry out judgment. Your judgment? Torture."

He focused on the three males. One was partially unconscious. The other was crippled. And the last was the medic. If Mike were to get killed, they would be in even worse condition. Tohru jumped to rescue them, yet the fissure suddenly split the ground apart even more.

Olvia caught Tohru midair before she fell and continued to the other piece of land. "I'll go all out against you!" She produced the marvelous sword that had quickly bested Ms. Boulala and swung it against Agora from behind. However, the vice-admiral incinerated into flames and apparated behind her. He flicked his finger and Olvia was immediately doused in flames. She screamed for her life and fell to the ground beside Mike.

"You ladies dare challenge me?" Tohru was back on the other side once more. When she got up, she saw Agora's head extending from his back, except it was fire not an actual head. "What do you think you can do?"

Tohru knew her Windmill Shuriken were no match for him. And her rod was lost. Mike shook his head and got up to attack Agora, but he was thrust back to his position and lit on fire as well. Fuyu cursed and tried getting up, but he collapsed quickly. Agora spread flames all around those four suffering Star Pirates and went back to Tohru.. only the girl was no longer there. She was running down the alley and trying to escape. "I'll lure him away.." Tohru thought to herself. Agora swiftly pursued. Tohru changed directions every few seconds for the hope of losing him, and she succeeded. She finally raced out into the kingdom streets.

All around her, the buildings were crumbled or crumbling, the men and women were huddled at the sides as the marines charged through. One burly man knocked her down and out of the way. When the majority had passed by, Tohru stood in the center of the streets. She took a deep breath before shouting, "Everyone! Akaiso's behind this all! Don't fight anymore! He evoked the Buster Call on this land. My captain, Captain Zato Alba, will stop this. Akaiso is the true enemy though! He has possessed everyone. So let's all work together to bring an end to Akaiso and Vice-Admiral Ago..."

There was an explosion right above her and Tohru fell. When the smoke cleared, Agora was seen with his feet slammed on Tohru's back. She felt her face smacked in the dirt and the weight hard on her. "What was that you said, missy?"

Tohru struggled to break free, but Agora brought his staff hard down and pinned her to the ground. "My father told me a little secret about you. That you're no ordinary girl. You're the girl he nearly killed, except you barely escaped his clutches. And you try the same with me. That shows a lot about your character." He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "You're a coward."

"No." Tohru had suddenly responded.

"What..? You spoke back?"

"No. I'm not a coward."

"Hahaha! Let's prove it then. I'll give you five seconds of freedom. Let's see where you go with that." Agora lifted Tohru up and threw her five feet away from him. He turned his back and smirked. "So here I start my countdown." Tohru slowly arose as he began to count. "Five.. four.. three. two.. one.. here I come." Agora turned, but he found nothing there. The people all around in the sides of the streets watched hopefully.

Tohru landed hard on him and wrapped her legs around his head. She pulled tight to choke him hard. Tohru even went as far as jamming shuriken into his head. Agora shook insanely to get her off - she held on by biting down into his shoulder. Agora finally burst into flames. Tohru was engulfed in them. "This is your method to prove that you're not a coward? By attacking by surprise? I'll tell you, that's enough a cowardly move. If you're actually strong, then you would fight me head on."

"Dude.. you went through all this effort just to catch me. And you left the rest of my crew, haha.." she chuckled. Agora did not like that. He grasped her firmly and swung her down to the ground. Then, he yanked her by the hair.

"Let this be a lesson to all! This is the fate of those who oppose me!" Agora dragged Tohru by the hair down the streets. The people were too scared to do anything. They just watched as Tohru got scratched up even more. Agora came all the way down to the end at the harbor. About a hundred innocent heads were watching him. There were about a hundred marines at the same time awaiting their order. Agora stood in front of a massive post and lifted Tohru up. "I could hang you up on that post and leave you to die. Or I could just get rid of you by throwing you into the sea."

Agora hurled Tohru past the post and into the water. He turned around and started walking away. However, the sound of static popping filled his ears instead of a splash with the water. "What happened?" He then looked up and saw a man holding Tohru by the collar at the very top of the large post.

"You have dared do the wrong thing, Mr. Agora," he whispered. "Hurt my sweet Tohru? That just makes me wanna break you apart!"  
Agora gave an expressionless look back at his opponent. "I recognize you from the descriptions Akainu gave."

"Feast your eyes upon the Hunk! I am the Legendary Evian Jacques!" In a flash, everything became bright across the entire land.


	35. Chapter 47: Evian vs Agora

**Chapter 47  
Evian Jacques vs Vice-Admiral Agora**

Blinded by the extreme light, Agora could do nothing but try to shield himself. He was vulnerable now, so Evian came in hard and smashed him back. The light finally faded to its normality. Tohru watched from the top of the post. She was blushing. "My feelings towards him have bloomed into loving respect."

"Yo Agora! You wanna mess with my homey dawg Tohru, then you'll have to face my pimpness! Yee dawg!!"

Tohru watched in silence and depression. "Oh where did that love just go?"

Agora swung his staff. Evian did the same. Both staffs collided and released tremendous elemental energy. Fire and lightning. Evian twirled around and tripped Agora. Then, he dug the sharp end of the staff into Agora's back. Fortunately for the vice-admiral, his body burst into flames. The fire latched onto Evian's staff and climbed up, forcing Evian to drop his weapon.

The flames materialized into Agora, who now had both staffs in his possession. "Hehe, this is surprising. Akainu never told me you had one of the five legendary staffs exclusive to the Blue seas outside the Grand Line. They were supposed to be in the hands of the best out of the best, and the best only."

"What are you saying?"

"Hehe, I'm saying this. Akaiso has the staff of water. I have the staff of fire. Warren Chan had the staff of earth. A myth has it that the Demigoddess Queen of the Grand Kingdom, Mahakyohaku, possessed the staff of wind, but she dropped it down to the Blue seas after her daughter fell from the sky. And lastly, the staff of light. Ranpu the Lightning Thief had that staff. But he died, maybe that explains why you have it. Yet I'm getting suspicious. Akaiso mentioned something about Ranpu when he called for us."

Evian's skin turned a different color. He loosened his belt and removed it completely. His body was starting to spark violently. "To survive and to beat this guy, do I have to go to that form?"

"Ranpu. I wonder, could this actually be you? What are you up to now?" Agora barked.

Evian released even more energy than the collision he had before. "Quit talking and fight me Agora!!" Tohru could not believe her eyes. Evian was now standing buff, the cape torn off and his pants morphed into a samurai bottom. His belt gleamed a golden color because it was now a sword of electricity. His whole body was glowing. Static went all over the place. 'I'll only last two minutes in this form before it kills me. So I gotta act fast. I'll beat him out in less than thirty seconds!' Evian erupted with lightning and sent tons of lightning bolts crashing down upon Agora.

The vice-admiral quickly shielded himself by combining lightning and fire staff elements to form a barrier. Evian fired forward and swung his sword. Agora attempted to block it, but the lightning sword slashed straight through the fire-lightning barrier and ripped through Agora's vest. Agora grinned and guffawed, "Arharr.. I'm amused because you think tearing my clothing will stop me." Agora was wrong. The electricity had hit enough of him. The static spread across his body and shocked him completely. "NO!!"

Evian now dug the lightning sword straight through Agora's body. It took a lot of force to break through Agora's armor, so Agora did not take the worst hit. But that was enough to take him out of the fight.

Tohru couldn't believe what she saw. "Evian.. that was even stronger than Fuyu!! How is this happening? Evian.. who are you?"  
The bystanders finally began to cheer. Agora was defeated. They grabbed their own weapons and charged past Evian and at the marines. They were motivated by Tohru and Evian's strength and courage to fight the Vice-Admiral.

Agora slowly reduced himself to flames and burned on his warship. "Damn. How did he beat me? I'm out of it guys, someone take over."

Evian too collapsed from using so much energy. Tohru was about to come help him.. but she realized where exactly she was. Sighing, she screamed, "Someone get me down from here!!! -.-"


	36. Chapter 48: Akaiso Works Crashed!

**Chapter 48  
Akaiso Works.. Crashed!  
Zato and the Ice Missile**

Zato had no clue what Akaiso was up to, but he knew it was no good. The base was now breaking out of the ground! Well, only the center part. The rest was collapsing on itself. "Zato Alba. Mimi. You two have ruined my entire plan. Supposedly all my agents are down. So what _should_ I do now? I have no use of anything here left. I curse you from here out Zato. But let me remind you this - this is not the last day we meet. We will cross paths once again."

Akaiso swung his staff and a wave of ice hit Zato and Mimi and froze them into the wall. What they saw next was unimaginable. It was pretty much a miniature version of Akaiso's base (just the central portion) with eight propellers allowing it to _fly_. Akaiso stood at the top as it rose hundreds of feet up into the air. "I'd like to show you the highlight of my technology. This is the Akaiso Works MOBILE BASE! With it, I shall fly to the Calm Belt where you have no chances of following me. And from there, I'll continue my flight along the Calm Belt and towards the Intermarine Central Point!"

Zato struggled to break free, and he managed to heat the ice by releasing thermal energy. Akaiso noticed this and continued freezing him with multiple layers. Just before Zato's head was covered up, Mimi whispered, "Hey, can you use your Block Block Fruit to absorb energy as well?"

The ice froze over his mouth, so he moved his eyes up and down to signify yes. Mimi whispered again, "Katsu.." and the whole wall exploded down. Zato saved them by absorbing the explosion into himself as extra energy storage. Unfortunately, Akaiso was already soaring away. "No!!" she cursed. "Akaiso!!!"

/\/\/\

Akaiso retreated within his base and sat in the control room. There were seven rooms in this base, all relatively small. A kitchen, the bedroom quarters, storage, a locked up room, control room, emergency room, and the central meeting room, considerably larger than all the others. They were all pointless considering he was the only one in there. Well, Akaiso thought he was the only one there.

He sat back in his chair and relaxed. He did not want to think or worry about his troubles. He could put those off to a later time. All he had to do was get to the Calm Belt. The Buster Call would easily take care of the Star Pirates.

Then, Akaiso peered out the window and saw half the warships either damaged or destroyed. And what annoyed him the most was not seeing Akainu in the streets. He saw Agora and that was it. Most of the Star Pirates were rushing around the kingdom and making their move. But most of the people and marines were staring up in awe at his mobile base. "Pitiful. This is too much for me to bear."

_Swoosh!_ He heard the swing of the blade and ducked just in time. Akaiso's staff was not in his reach, so he kicked his chair into the intruder behind him. Akaiso spun and saw someone he did not want to see. "What do you want?" Akaiso mumbled.

Standing before him now was Shikaku no Kazan Diz. "I want.. my revenge.. Akaiso.. I'll kill.. kill you." Diz was injured all over, and half of his body was crystallized. For some reason, his former paralysis had no current effect on him. "What are you.. waiting for Akaiso? Fight me already. I can't wait to destroy you.. to make you bleed and suffer like you did to me!!"

Akaiso seemed entertained by his opponent. "Diz, what do you think of yourself? You're cunning to have snuck aboard. Now you're trying to prove to be a powerful assassin by killing off your master?" Diz did not hesitate any longer. He swung the blade with quite some force once again. Akaiso dodged to the right, so Diz blew straight through the chair. Except now, Diz raised his sword above the control panel. Akaiso's eyes bulged and he knocked Diz over before any damage could be done to the aerobase system.

All of a sudden, Akaiso noticed a purple symbol cleverly marked on Diz's back. "I see. So you're not responsible for this behavior, huh Diz?" Akaiso obtained his staff from the closet, and before Diz could get up and strike again, he smashed through the upper air vent. Out tumbled Neko, his plan foiled. "Mr. 10, no.. the Works is pointless... Neko Panora, it was you."

Neko lay on the floor before Akaiso. He had no way of escaping the Shichibukai, so he suffered. "You finally figured out that you're no match for me, so you possessed Diz with the purple mark and used him to fight on your behalf. A clever thought indeed. It would've worked well while you still served me. But now that you've joined the pirates, you're of no worth to me."

"Akaiso!! I'll kill myself if I don't see you dead! You're scum! You've ruined my life! You've ruined everyone's lives! You don't deserve to live!" Neko tried to flick blue paint onto the Shichibukai, but Akaiso flickered around Neko and kicked him over against the wall. The poor boy had a headache now and he did not feel any better when the shaft he was resting against began to open up.

"Then you should go, because I'm not the one who'll die. I don't even want you aboard my ship - yes, this is my ship. So long, Neko Panora, let's hope you don't survive." Neko squirmed when he dropped into the open air. They were at least a thousand feet up! Now what was to happen? He was gonna die.

Akaiso turned to Diz and saw him regaining his consciousness. "Since you're here, though I don't want you, I'll just send you back to another room. But don't think you'll have a chance at killing me, Diz. Make one false move and I'll _crush_ you."

/\/\/\

The blizzard had finally died down. Zato seemed hopeless because the aerobase was soaring away. It was already leaving the coast. "There's no way we'll get there in time. I need a ton of energy if I want to blast all the way up there!"

Mimi seemed a bit hopeless too, but she noticed the cart that she used to get there. "Hold on Zato.."

Despite the state it was in, the two were soon soaring through the snowland thanks to Mimi's sarcomobile. "I don't know, I just built it so that my Devil Fruit makes it move really fast. I just fuel the back by feeding it more fire, ooh the fire's dying. Hold on! BURN!" Her command sparked more flames and got the engine working even more.

Zato was excited to return - he was eager to get back at Akaiso. Before that though, Mimi spoke: "Thanks.. and sorry Zato."

"For what?"

"For everything," she whispered with a blush. "I was so stupid. And mental. And drunk. I didn't know what to do. I just thought it was over. I thought siding with Akaiso would give me happiness. I thought he would grant me my freedom and my wish. I just.. I just want someone to accept me. He seemed like the one who accepted me. But he didn't. It was you who accepted me Zato. That's what I'm thankful for. You brought me out of the dark and into the light. At last, I understand what it means to be free."

Zato did not respond. He just tipped his black hat over his eyes to cover up his expression. A few minutes later, the remainder of his crew watched the cart crash through the streets. Four brave soldiers openly fired against it to try stopping it. They were successful because the front was ripped off. However, Zato and Mimi dived out of both sides and jumped into action.

Agora looked over the side of ship and saw Zato get nailed by a number of bullets at once. He grinned, but his expression was completely morphed when Zato released the projectiles straight back at the soldiers. "AKAISO!!!" Zato roared blindly. He curled up into a ball and shot through the air. Before he reached the coast, Zato barrelled down two lines of marines. Then, he made a daring leap over the water and all the way up to the nearest warship.

Agora did not know what was possessing this demon child. "What kind of monkey are you?!" He grabbed his staff and tried burning a hole through Zato. The captain was swift and actually absorbed the heat. Agora was even more astounded now.

Realizing the how he could use Agora's energy, Zato taunted the vice-admiral over and over. So fire wrapped around his body and burned through his skin. Suddenly and shockingly, the fire sucked inwards and disappeared. Zato's eyes glowed with a burning red, and his whole body seemed to give off a new aura. Agora was scared. "You're stronger than they describe you." Agora spun the staff around and lunged at Zato with the sharp end. "I'll kill you anyways!"

The captain dodged the first couple of swings. From there, he took large backward leaps to avoid Agora's slashes.. until he was cornered at the edge. Zato backed up a bit onto the protruding cannon. From there, it was just sea to his back. Sea - his comrade, yet having the power of a Devil Fruit, it was also his mortal enemy. He had mystic powers with the sacrifice of not being able to swim. Those were the consequences of eating the cursed fruit many years before.

"I like the position you're in. It serves as a royal death. One little push and you'll fall. You'll fall, Zato Alba. This is what you get for challenging me." Zato had a plan up his sleeve, however. Agora dived forward to attack again. Zato fell as expected, only he rolled down into the cannon itself.

"So along. And good luck my _nakama_." Agora made the worst mistake and thrust his staff down into the cannon. Zato had already released all the energy he absorbed.

"Oh fuck."

From the shore, Tohru, Evian, Mike, Olvia, Nick (who had finally opened his eyes), and Fuyu saw the Chief Warship of the Buster Call completely explode. An eruption of smoke and flames swallowed it and the marines aboard and buried it into the shore. Fortunately, a shining star soared out from the decimation. Zato had fired himself to the sky.

Mimi scrambled in front of the assembled Star Pirates. "We haven't won yet. Akaiso's getting away. Come on!"

/\/\/\

Akaiso sat back and finally achieved peace. He did not want any disturbances, so he went as far as freezing himself in a block. 'I'll wait till the ice freezes to come out. Diz should hold off _anything_ that has made it aboard until I restore my soul.' Akaiso sank into his dreams and memories. His mind filled with lust for the man who ruined him and love for the woman he had loved but was gone.

Mimi.. she was just another one. Akaiso seemed to have loved her, but she was only just a replica of Juliet. The beauty she was, like a rose kindling the flame in his heart. Yet all of a sudden, it died out and she wilted. Warren thundered into his mind. He was a majestic figure who towered above all others. He filled the sky with all his might. He was draped in white robes. Three red symbols lined his center. He held a bow with an Arrow of Light in one hand and the Staff of Earth in the other. "Rather traditional looking for a criminal," Akaiso smirked.

His domineering presence nearly wiped Akaiso out. "Warren! What do you want with me?!"

The arrow was released and pierced through Akaiso's heart. "Don't think you will prevail. A star has finally been born, and he shall eliminate you. Though I am too weak myself, the prophecy has called for a new being. Captain Zato Alba." Hearing the name made Akaiso fight back in rage. Zato was the second captain to ruin him completely. He could not bear living with that mortal enemy.

"You scoundrel. Acting all prophet-like with me. Your predictions are blasphemous. Besides, you're dead. What do you think of yourself, haunting my mind. You stole Juliet, and you suffered. But I still suffer. That's why I can never forgive you and all other pirates of your type."

In a flash, Warren was now different - he was in a black samurai outfit and his staff was replaced with a long katana. "I have a few things to say before my successor eliminates you. Akaiso, you're a delusional man. You believe that you are the strongest being. But your sins have gone way too far. For that, I leave Zato Alba to vanquish you!" The weapon tore through Akaiso and ripped his mind apart.

The Shichibukai defended himself, however, with his powerful staff. Warren blocked the bits of ice that hailed down upon him. His feet were now frozen, and the ice trickled up his body. Akaiso lunged forward and seized his opportunity. He stabbed Warren and rid himself of the pirate who reaped his mind.

Warren dissipated into thin air. The way morphed into a staircase, and Akaiso followed it eagerly. He saw Juliet in a portrait hanging at the end. Just before he could reach for it, Juliet was caught in flames. Warren reappeared once more, this time in a blue vest and jeans, with a mocking look. "On a last note, don't think I'm dead. The time will come when we cross paths.. again. You may squirm out of it alive this time, but I assure you that us pirates, the 'scoundrels', will break you.

Akaiso tumbled into a pit of eternal darkness. All around him was hell, but he was a tough being. Akaiso could let himself just die here. He stepped out in time and opened his eyes. "Zato is here."

/\/\/\

Zato managed to shatter through a window. He looked around the dim room and found no sign of living. He was in a large central room. There were six doors surrounding them. He just had to pick a blind guess at which one would take him to Akaiso.

Suddenly, he felt tired. He had been running around for at least six hours straight. He needed a break. So there, Zato made his fatal mistake. The idiot he was, Zato sat down casually and rested on a sofa. He needed food, and he awkwardly produced two loafs of bread out of his pocket and chomped them down. Then and all of a sudden, thick metal bindings shot from the ground and pinned him down to the sofa. He saw a hologram of Akaiso appear nearby. "I got you Zato. Don't think you're that slick, cause you're not. You're a complete idiot." A needle came out of nowhere and poked into his skin. It was equipped with a tranquilizer and a shocker.

Zato's eyes drooped and he started fading away. He did not notice one of the doors slide open. A large man crept out and towards him. Here, his fate would be decided!


	37. Chapter 49: Aboard Skyma

**Chapter 49  
Aboard **_**Skyma**_

Two warships, _Yoyma_, and _Shooting Star_ sailed swiftly and followed Akaiso's aerobase's path. Mimi, the Commanders of Cynicism who recently arrived, and the Star Pirates teamed up with the residents of Frona to follow Akaiso and bring him down. "I didn't want him to bring out _Skyma_. He's too powerful. I hope Zato can do it."

"Zato can do anything," Tohru beamed.

Evian interrupted: "Yeah.. but we haven't even seen him in an actual serious battle yet!"

"So?" Mike spat. "Zato's just got an incredible spirit!"

"He acts like a complete idiot and he's kinda reckless, and a bit full of himself, but still.. Zato's strong," Fuyu grinned.

Mimi clasped her hands together. She was remaining hopeful. "Good luck Zato."

Suddenly, they came across a body in the ocean. Mike anchored it up and found that it was none other than Neko. He was choking on water and barely alive. The doctor sat down and resuscitated the poor child as he recounted his story. "Akaiso.. ACKK!! Akaiso is up there. I snuck aboard and tried to kill him, but he was too strong. He cast me out, he DROPPED ME from the sky! ACKK!!!" Neko burst into tears. Olvia sat down beside him and gave him a big warm hug.. he randomly blushed and passed out.

/\/\/\

Zato's vision was reduced to a blur. He had no control over himself now. He made out a man rising over his body with a fiery blade. "Who are you?"

Diz lifted his sword high up and brought it down with considerable force. The captain was a bit frightened. But surprisingly, the bindings that held him down were the only things broken. Zato did not get up. The injection had completely weakened him. "I'm Mr. 2. If you're wondering, I've come to free you."

Zato still didn't move, so Diz continued. "It sounds weird, but I'm not tricking you. Akaiso has frozen himself and is trying to meditate. If you hurry, you can fight him for real."

"Why're you telling me this? I don't believe you betraying Akaiso." Suddenly, he felt the needle being jerked out of his skin. "Unhh.."

"Because, I've heard a lot about you, and your comrades were the only people who took out all of Akaiso Works. The way Fuyu Sashimi and Mike Jinsoku battled made me shiver. And he even crystallized me. Half of my cells are malfunctional. The only reason I'm living is because I consumed a Devil Fruit."

"That still doesn't convince me," Zato mumbled, though surprised that Diz had taken the injection out.

"Fine, but let me tell you enough. Very few of the elite agents in Akaiso Works willingly came to him. Mr. 1 came because his _Meishingon_ needed repair. Ms. Penny's father sold her off to him to regain his family name. Even Ms. 0, or as we called her, Ms. Cynic, did not willingly come. Akaiso poisoned a lot of their minds. He promised things he doesn't even care about. These were all people in desperate need of being saved."

"Once I feel better, I'll go kick Akaiso's ass. I don't need you to talk to me. Since you freed me, you're obviously leading me into a trap. But I thank you enough. Since I'm free, I can rest in peace and then go move. For that, I'll spare you. Mr. 2, you're my enemy, so don't think we're any friends. Just stay out of the way or I'll annihilate you. You don't know how much rage has built up into my head over all this." Zato tucked his hat over his face. Diz felt like destroying the pirate.

"You.. you... I can't believe you.. just lying down and not taking the opportunity laid out for you. ARGH!! If that's the case, then I'll go kill Akaiso myself. The scoundrel he is, robbing me from the start. Pin pa and Poni ma, I haven't seen them in years. I miss them. THEY WERE MY ONLY FAMILY!!"

Zato thought it sounded familiar. He tried to relieve his headache, but Diz continued. "AKAISO!! I am Shikaku no Kazan! I am the Assassin of the Volcano! I am the Master of Lava! You crushed me once, but now it's time for me to completely crush you!!"

Zato knocked his hat off in complete surprise. "You're Diz?!?" Diz didn't feel like responding. "So finally I've found you. Do you know how worried Pin-san and Poni-sama were?"

Diz put up a look of bewilderment. "You.. you know them!??"

"Haha yeah! I met them at Pinpoint Island! They told us all about you, and how Akaiso took you away!" Diz was in complete tears. He felt his bonds of love returning. "That's enough to convince me. Obviously you're Akaiso's enemy and slave. Hehe, Diz, you've kinda encouraged me. I think it's time I took Akaiso on."

Zato finally felt free from his former condition. He got up and motioned towards the door. Diz turned to the back of the room and went for another one. "You know Zato. Akaiso's yours then. I'm gonna be useless. If I tried joining in the fight, I'd just get in your way. So.. I'll mess up Akaiso's plans. He has an actual prisoner who he's kept locked up for a pretty long time. If I can free that, Akaiso will be completely screwed over. How 'bout it?"

"Daring to do such a thing would only result in your death, Diz," a new voice boomed. Zato and Diz leapt with terror. All of the doors slid open. They felt the whole aerobase spinning rapidly now. "It disappoints me that you didn't just come up and fight me Diz. You _had_ to free Zato too, and encourage him and do all that. You couldn't have just left him for me. Or just killed him."

Diz rushed to one of the rooms, but an ice barrier formed over it and pushed him back. "Feel pain. Feel wrath. Diz, you're no longer useful. Goodbye."

Akaiso materialized out of nowhere and, with a single kick, made the previous Mr. 2 go flying into a window. Diz controlled himself appropriately. Lava overpowered the ice barrier and carved the room he was trying to reach completely out of the aerobase. Lava reformed a new wall to cover up the hole. "NO!"

Diz was already plummeting from the sky, but he managed to break off one of the rooms - the room with Akaiso's prisoner. "Zatoo!!! Good luck!!! You can do it!"

Zato was sickened, but he had no time to worry about Diz. Akaiso waved his arm and all the furniture froze down into the floor. The battlefield was finally set. It was a pretty large room.

"Zato D. Alba. You're a tough cookie."

"Kniex 'Storm' Akaiso. You're a real badass."

Their overbearing spirits flamed out of their bodies. Zato's palms gleamed with the energy that was being given off and absorbed all at the same time. "I've been waiting really long to fight you. It's seemed like... like _years_. But it's only been a week or so since I arrived in the Kisho Sea. Scary, huh? And I've been on this deranged island for less than a full day. I've built up a lot of emotion and hatred in this short time. Enough talk, it's time to defeat you, Mr. 0!"

Zato released potential energy backwards and propelled forwards.


	38. Chapter 50: Captain Zato vs Royal Akaiso

**Chapter 50  
Captain Zato D. Alba  
vs  
Royal Shichibukai Mr. 0 Kniex 'Storm' Akaiso**

Zato was zooming through the air. He nearly nailed Akaiso, but the Shichibukai blocked a direct hit with the staff itself. He swung Zato around and hurled him into the back wall. Zato caught his balance timely and stopped on the wall. He stored energy down in his feet and got an extra boost by bending down.

Zato shot at Akaiso once again. Akaiso blocked in the same manner but with more force than before. Zato was thrown back to his original spot. He got up and tried again. This time, Zato coiled up in a ball and zipped around and around the room. He was going to deceive his opponent. He attempted, but failed when Akaiso batted him away with the staff again.

It went on over and over. Zato's countless failure attempts could not stop him. He had come too far to give up. So he tried a new approach. Using his energy to bring him forward, Zato delivered a series of quick punches at Akaiso. None proved to much avail, but they did get past his staff. Akaiso responded with a strong kick, and Zato landed on the floor in a bit of pain.

He thought slowly to formulate a plan. He needed some tactic to overcome this man, and he needed to think fast. Akaiso seized the opportunity and now went on the offense. Mr. 0 teleported beside Zato and jabbed him hard in the stomach. He continued by kicking the captain back into the wall. Just before collision, Akaiso appeared between Zato and the wall and smashed him in the head from behind. Zato fell to the floor in a state of misery, so the Shichibukai brought the staff down hard on his head and started to freeze it up.

Caught in a pinch, Zato remembered his earlier clash with Vice-Admiral Agora. He tapped into the stored heat and released enough to back Akaiso away. "That's unusual to have fire element," Akaiso muttered.

"My Devil Fruit gives me the ability to absorb most forms of energy and store them away for later use, or even convert energy into different usable forms. For that reason, I can make stored energy a weapon or something to heal myself with. It's pretty handy to have the Block Block Fruit."

Akaiso understood and responded, "So any sort of element would be absorbed. But physical attacks are just another problem for you. Then here I come!" Akaiso charged at him and swung the staff over and over. Zato dropped to the floor and flipped his body around. His legs knocked through Akaiso's, tripping the Shichibukai down to the floor as well. Zato seized his opportunity and boosted up to his feet. "Block Block Blast!" He fired himself with a great amount of force and got a perfect hit.

Mr. 0 melted down and reformed at the opposite end of the room. "Congrats Zato. You finally nailed one of your big moves on me. Your kiddy way of fighting is impressing me a lot. I'll have to destroy you quickly now though." Icy wind whirled around Akaiso and concealed him. The icy wind rushed through the whole room and many different illusions of Akaiso appeared. The real one came from behind, but Zato performed a backwards uppercut and got him down again.

Akaiso melted down once again and came back to the opposite end. "I'll have to say, this is a really childish fight. Your crew wiped out my whole works, Zato. Come at me, give me all you got. Show me your true strength, challenge me. There's no way you'll win, but you've come far enough. You've wasted enough of my time. I want all of your might to fight. Let me destroy a powerful captain!" Zato too felt like he wasn't giving it his all.

He noticed his feet frozen to the ground. Akaiso lunged forward and hit him hard with the butt of the staff. Zato could not soar away, he just took the hits like a punching bag. "Block Star Drop!" The ice cracked and Zato flipped where he was. A considerable amount of energy struck Akaiso and pushed him back a bit. Zato came back for more. He dived at Akaiso and, boosting himself with even more potential, he let out a flurry of punches. Akaiso got the hits directly, but before he could fall, Zato appeared behind him and kicked him as hard as he could up into the ceiling.

Akaiso hit the top and tumbled back down with a _thud_. He was finally in real pain. Zato knew he couldn't let Akaiso go, so he leapt up and stomped hard down on the Shichibukai. Zato finally released his rage and, grabbing onto Akaiso, flung him up into the ceiling again. He brought 0 down on the floor headfirst and let 0 experience the pain.

Unfortunately, Akaiso's whole body froze up. Zato's hands were caught in it too and he was now stuck to the Shichibukai. A new Akaiso suddenly came from behind and struck him in the back of the head with the staff _again_. Zato collapsed right there.

He felt blood oozing out of the back of his head. The pain hurt so much, but he still managed to get up. Akaiso rushed him and swung the staff again, but Zato stopped it this time with a single hand. "I don't know why, but I finally feel some incredible strength."

Akaiso pushed hard, but Zato's strength was overpowering the Shichibukai's. The staff went back at Akaiso, and in all of a sudden, Zato thrust Akaiso far away. 0 crashed back into the kitchen. Zato exploded with new muscle power and ran at Akaiso. "Don't think a little punch can get you so far, Zato, you've tried it too much." When Zato punched, Akaiso went all the way out the side and was hanging for his life at the edge of the aerobase.

"What the hell?!" Zato came once more. He raised his leg high up in the air. Akaiso could see actual energy leaking out of his foot. When the leg smashed down, it released a ton of energy, and the force broke through the steel floor and wall. Akaiso's ledge was destroyed. He fell from the sky but managed to catch on with a lining of ice just in time.

Mr. 0 pulled himself all the way up to the exterior roof of the aerobase and regained his balance up there. The aerobase was flying fast, but the winds pushing him were even faster. A hole ripped open in front of him and Zato burst out into the sky.

"What newfound strength is this, Zato?"

"I finally learned how to modify my Devil Fruit powers to my own advantage," Zato grinned. He was a completely new person now.


	39. Chapter 51: Counter

**Chapter 51  
Counter **

Akaiso dug his staff into the roof and began to undo his robes. "I'll fight you with my own strength."

"You don't need to prove anything to me, I'm still gonna win," Zato replied.

Akaiso was now in lighter samurai wear. Zato focused his energy to his palm and thrust his palm forward, releasing a small yet swift force at Akaiso. The Shichibukai responded in the same way, and his palm battered Zato's attack away. Mr. 0 performed _soru_ and flickered behind Zato. He gave a tough punch in hopes of besting the captain. Zato spun around in a zip and, boosted by rapid power, punched back. Their fists collided. Both sides pushed hard against each other.

Surprisingly, there was an explosion from the immense amount of energy released. Zato dived into the fray once more, but Akaiso barreled straight into him. He tumbled backwards and lay sprawled on the surface. Zato pushed himself up once more and charged head on towards Akaiso. Mr. 0 performed a remarkable _soru_ and appeared behind Zato before he could blink his eye. His leg was already brought up into the air.

Akaiso was a huge man, and therefore by focusing his own strength from ice and earth elements, he produced destructive impacts. Zato noticed his opponent behind him too late. He was hammered into the surface. His head dented the metal surface. When Akaiso reached down and lifted Zato up, he saw blood trickling down from the side of the captain's face.

"Pirate scum. Here's death for you." Akaiso prodded a finger into Zato's chest. The finger glowed with unimaginable energy - it was ice element accumulating there. He dug his new weapon into Zato with quite some force. Zato screamed in pain. Akaiso brought his whole palm now and performed a similar offense. Zato was propelled all the way into the air. He found himself flying off the side of the aerobase.

Suddenly, Akaiso was behind again. Before Zato could fall, he was kicked up again. And before he crashed into the side of the mobile base, Akaiso made a midair dash and grabbed Zato where he was. The captain was hurled upwards.

Seeing his new aerial freedom, Zato prepared to make his counterattack. Unfortunately, his hopes were met by the powerful smash of Akaiso's kick - Akaiso had just appeared from above! Zato slammed down into the roof of the base with quite some force. The whole craft lost its balance for several seconds, but the system quickly recovered. Zato got up with an extremely dizzy consciousness. He knew he was severely bleeding. He could feel ooziness throughout his body. Just when he stood straight, he lost balance and collapsed over the side.

Akaiso could not stay in the air any longer himself. He cursed when his opponent fell over. "Damn it Zato! Don't you just surrender on me, I'm gonna make sure you completely die!!" He snatched his staff quickly.

A hand tore out of the side of _Skyma_. It was pure solid ice, yet it moved in an extremely flexible manner. The large hand swiped Zato tightly and crushed him in the side of the craft. Zato broke through the wall and found himself in the kitchen. "Crud. I can't fight him until I've regained my strength. Ugh." Akaiso brought his staff down hard and tore down most of the roof. He charged into the kitchen and froze the entire room upon entrance.

Zato was not in there. "What the hell are you playing at, you twerp." Akaiso stepped out and looked. There were five other remaining rooms. Which one was Zato in? Akaiso slowly rotated. He felt the world now spinning completely around him. He knew that if he turned his back for too long, Zato would strike. "Come out, come out wherever you are, Zato." He decided he would have to make a daring move. Akaiso stuck his staff into a small indent in the floor. All of a sudden, frost spread across the floor in all directions. "This will force you out of hiding. All of these rooms will be completely frozen."

He heard shuffling in the control room and cursed. "Not that room.." He charged in to find nothing there. Except a hole in the ceiling. "Escaping again?" Akaiso knew the system of vents above was not very intricate at all. In fact, there were only two vents that crisscrossed in the center. Zato would be trapped where he was. The frost trickled into the ceiling and chased Zato down.

Akaiso did not believe what happened next. The entire side wall tore down and a massive force smashed him with great impact. He blasted through the other wall and landed flat in the bedroom. Akaiso got up quick, yet Zato was not there. He got up and made for the door - if he were to get back to the center room he could put up a stronger defense and offense.

The same power crushed him once more. This time it came straight from the front. Akaiso crashed into the back of his room in complete pain. He was clearly bleeding all over now. The back of his head was swollen. And still no Zato. "Quit playing games!" Akaiso roared. He charged outwards and assumed his original stance in the center.

A jolt of energy hit him like a bullet. It was a burning projectile as well. He turned to find the source. The effect came upon him, so he grasped his chest in pain. Another one came before Akaiso could focus an ice barrier. He now could see the power of Zato's fruit. By using stored energy from a while back, he focused it to his palm and fingers and released it in even smaller bursts that could move at faster speeds. "Impressive, but don't think your tricks will stop me!"

Akaiso was not prepared for Zato's final move. The pirate smashed from above and, the heat and ice energy visibly seeping out, brought his bolstered leg down as hard as he could. Akaiso was buried in an explosion.

Zato stood now over the demolished Shichibukai. His shirt was torn multiple times, and his hat had bits of frost stuck to it. Wounds were all over his body. Despite that, he was in top shape. His muscles could be seen to hold a lot of energy in them - they were at least twice in size. His cells were working at twice the rate to hold the energy there in the first place. He had to end it soon, or he would die.

**Sorry for delay. Enjoy reading :)**


	40. Chapter 52: Daemon Frost Death

**Chapter 52  
Daemon Frost Death**

Akaiso emerged. He was bleeding. So was Zato. Yet the captain steamed with extraordinary power. He took one look at the Shichibukai. Akaiso was reduced to a thin layer of cloth over his body. Zato stepped back a bit and took in a few deep breaths to regain whatever energy he could. Mr. 0 spread his arms wide and numerous ice structures tore out of the ground. One was the same hand that saved Zato from his fall. The rest were similar threatening structures such as a flimsy pole, a cannon, and even moving stalagmites.

A large block came sliding towards him. Zato punched it hardly and shattered through the ice. He hurried past and jumped over the next two obstacles. While in the air, real fire shot from his feet and melted down the ice. Akaiso sent more and more at Zato. The captain smashed through one after another.

Zato suddenly found Akaiso right behind him. He could do nothing to dodge the palm thrust from behind..

The neurotransmitters in his body received a new signal. It diffused over synapses at an incredible rate and reached the center of his spinal nerve in time. Just before Akaiso could strike, a ton of heat blasted out from Zato's back and melted him down.

Two more Akaisos appeared, these being true ice forms. Zato jumped, flipped, and swung his leg. A wave of energy slashed through the air and ripped through the fakes. The real one stood behind the army of ice, commanding his warriors. "All I need to do is wear away your stored energy. I know your ability, Zato. You're running out of time! Soon you'll run out of energy to supply your body. Everything's being converted to keeping your body in that strange state..

An entire line of ice structures shattered; the air around Akaiso whirled with heat and motion. The Shichibukai made out a blur rushing around. He knew the attack was coming, but he had no clue which direction. Zato punched from the front.

Akaiso resisted the impact and froze his feet to the floor to keep from flying. The impact still separated him from the floor, but he continued to build up until he was literally attached to the bottom. Zato kicked from the side at Akaiso's frozen base. Akaiso fell and Zato lunged forward for the finishing blow. He brought his fist into Akaiso's stomach as hard as he could.

His muscles converted all their potential to his very fist, enlarging it to grand proportions. Akaiso got the direct hit and his body split into pieces.. Zato realized he hadn't won..

Then, his nerves seemed to be paralyzed. He could not move his body. He just felt Akaiso's palm in his back. Akaiso somehow grabbed hold of his spinal cord!!

Zato cursed to himself and collapsed on the floor. Akaiso kicked the defeated captain over. "That final move was impressive. You caught me off guard. But that's all you could do. I, on the other hand, returned my spirit to the staff and was able to relocate myself. Too bad you hit me in the process, so I still am weakened by.. it.. now... no... only now I'm feeling the effects!" Akaiso coughed blood onto Zato's face. "Serves you right to have given me that." Zato could not move at all. Akaiso had finally gotten him. His vision wasn't destroyed; he could still see right up above him. He saw the large sharp blade flip into Akaiso's hand. "Where should I stab you.. where should I kill you?" Akaiso brought it down.

Zato's eyes did not move, even though the sputtered blood landed on his eye. He knew where Akaiso had hurt him, even though there was no pain. He was paralyzed now, and he had gone numb. His nerve cells were frozen. They needed heat. But how was he still thinking? It must've been his physical nerves. The brain wasn't affected. It was the spine. His back was a crutial part of his body. Akaiso had stabbed him in the hand. It was not enough to trigger the nerves. He needed somewhere that would active his reflex. Otherwise, he was a numb and lifeless goner.

'I need.. one shot.. at my final move..' he thought. The blade came down once more. It was sickening. Akaiso was going for the heart..!

Zato reacted before the fatal strike. His body released energy downwards, propelling him upwards into Akaiso. Though the sword fatally cut his arm, it was better than his heart. Zato could feel the pain now. He tried to ignore it as he tackled Akaiso to the ground. There was no more ice army.

Zato seized his final opportunity. His power was still stored in the fist. He nearly crushed Akaiso for good. But at the last second, the tides changed.

The energy was all gone. Zato fell to the ground. He grasped his throat and choked on something. He needed air. He needed water. He needed some food. Most of his body's energy had been used. There was no point.

Akaiso too was greatly injured. The two lay by each other, both unable to get up. "Hehe, looks like that's the furthest you'll sail, Captain Zato D. Alba," Akaiso smirked.

Zato knew he was dying. He had exhausted himself too quickly. He soared into a flashback of thought. He remembered his first days as a young child on the seas. He had no experience. There was just a call to his journey. He remembered reading about his Devil Fruit. None of it made sense - the librarian had much more to say: "Young sir, I warn you of the perils in your journey. If you indeed are the possessor of the Block powers, then you are a threat itself to the government. Though you are a good boy, I know it.

"They searched far and wide for the Block Block no Mi. They felt that its powers could match up to the legendary Shichibukai Bartholomew Kuma, the Pacifista and Vegapunk's epitomized knowledge.

"What makes this such a powerful fruit? It gives you the ability to absorb almost any form of energy. Light, fire, wind, water, static, yet even the two that are being highly researched by Vegapunk at the moment for incredible technology - kinetic and potential. Those are the very basics of your fruit. It stores energy in your cells as potential. Once you need that energy, it is released in bursts from your body. It _can_ be channeled, though that requires a lot of precision and control. By channeling the potential, it can be released in controlled amounts with even more force. The toughest is channeling _and_ focusing the energy. There are many components to channeling and focusing. You'll need to absorb an immense amount of energy. Where could such a force come from? Not a field power or elemental energy - I am specifically talking about kinetic energy from the outside. Your cells will be able to store energy from an impact. Perhaps a spinning object.. and that rotational kinetic becomes potential. Because it is at such a higher level, it requires release quickly. This makes it tough to channel and focus it. But channeling it to a smaller range, or perhaps a large range, and focusing it to a beam of low or high speed, that would all depend on the circumstance, young child. I have spoken too much, but the government will execute me anyways. Just remember, any form of rotation.. you can use it, Zato. Consider it.. a substitute for your own body's. But there is one drawback. By coming into contact with such a force, you most likely will suffer. Since this world revolves around war, and you are a pirate, I warn you not to throw your life away."

Zato did not make out too much of it, but he got the gist of the science lecture. Something finally revived him. He stood up and looked at the hole in the ceiling. Akaiso struggled and also got up. "What now, Zato?" Zato ripped the scraps of his shirt and bounced up to the roof. The wind was strong and the air was very thin. He ignored it and pressed forward. Akaiso followed deliberately. "What are you planning to do?" Zato ignored him and kept going. Infuriated, Akaiso flicked his staff. A blizzard took through the air. Ice shard pierced through Zato's bare skin.

The captain ignored it. "ZATO!!" Akaiso did not know what Zato was planning. He knew he had to end it soon. "Enough fooling, feel the wrath of my final weapon!" Akaiso rose his staff into the air. Zato turned his head and saw a sickening sight.

A ball of ice formed above Akaiso's head. Only this was not a small sphere. It was a massive creation, larger than the craft they were riding. "This is my ultimate, Zato Alba! You have brought it out. Now it's time you died!"

Down at sea, Tohru scanned her surroundings from the bow with a pair of binoculars. She found something particularly shocking and called for the others.

Everyone could see the crystal blue cloud in the sky. Winds were rapids up there. The blizzards all around pushed and pulled these currents over and under until everything inside was chaos.

_Skyma_ tumbled in its course. The system could not face so much turbulence at once. Zato struggled to even stay on the platform. Akaiso simply watched in amazement as his masterpiece had come together. Everything was reduced to white and blue vision. Snow covered the cloud. The craft was trapped in midair. Akaiso did not care about his ship anymore. He was maddened and only cared for Zato's true death.

"The snow and wind has spread around so much that we're stuck in my own cloud right now. But my weapon, Akaiso Daemon Frost Death, it's still floating right above. All it needs is to accumulate a bit more! Then, it'll come down and completely obliterate everything up here. There's no way you'll live it seeing the condition you're in. Die! That's all I can say, Zato Alba!!!" Zato resisted the ice and blizzards, though it was hacking through his body.

He came to the edge of the craft. He knew what powered it. _The propeller_. Everything that scholarly librarian had told him applied to him now. He was glad he took the life of a noble pirate. He was glad enough.

Zato dropped over the side. There were just seconds left. "Rotation.. store it.. and RELEASE!"

Tohru made out the massive sphere of ice hanging out of the cloud. It grew with each passing second. It started to move inside the cloud and massacre _Skyma_ and Zato.. then it exploded with energy.

Everything was a blast of light from there on. Nobody down at the sea could see.

Zato felt everything around him exploding. He held tight to the propeller. His body was jammed in it. The blades had sliced holes in him. He was bleeding. All he could see was the white light and the red blood. All he felt was the energy radiating from his body. It all erupted out.

Akaiso lay in a blood bath as well. His head had erupted - fluids were leaking out along with blood. Everything had backfired on him. Zato got up with whatever miracle's last strength remained in him. He wobbled over to Akaiso. The Shichibukai quivered. "Zato.. how did you do it? How did you stop my.. my organization? How did you beat me?"

"It's the bonds that I have formed with _nakama_. And the cruelty you have put in your comrades. I hope you'll learn from these sins." Zato meant to spare his opponent in the situation he was already in.

"You foolish child.. You.. you... I can't do anything except talk. You bastard. You've robbed me of everything. Just like.. just like Warren!! JUST LIKE WARREN!" Tears poured down Akaiso's cheeks as he went into a frenetic rage. He just could not move. "I assure you.. I _will_ assure you.. this is not over. Some day you _will_ be dead. You will suffer for this. I will get my revenge. Even if I die now, I curse you from my afterlife! I set a curse upon you, Zato! An eternal curse! A curse for you to.." Zato punched him square in the face and left it with that.

Just then, the _Skyma_'s entire system came apart. The propellers were now misfunctional. There was no backup. It simply fell from the sky.

Akaiso and Zato.

Akaiso - down and finished.

Zato walked away, yet he collapsed in less than a few seconds. He was soon done for as well.

The scrapped rusty craft that _Skyma_ had been reduced to simply sank into the water. Zato and Akaiso went down.

He could not breathe down there. He shut his eyes and let it go. But the hand grasped him soon before that.

He opened his eyes once more, and saw an unexpected figure. He saw a majestic figure, draped in white robes, armed with an Arrow of Light in one hand and the Staff of Earth in the other. "You have proven worthy. You may be the chosen one, Zato. Don't think your fights are over - they have just begun."

"Who are you?" Zato mumbled.

"I am Warren Tarento G Chan. The time will come when we join forces as allies. Live strong until then, Zato!"

Zato realized that Tohru had saved him in time. She dived into the water and pulled him out to safety. He was hauled up into _Yoyma_ - Mimi rushed to him in tears. "Zato!! Are you.. are you okay!??"

Mike got to work.

Fuyu looked at the sinking craft with quite some awe. Right then, Evian, from a captured warship, shouted a plea. "Guys!! We've got company!!"

Down in the horizon, a seemingly endless line of warships could be made out. Fuyu and Evian stood up to take command. "There's no way we're fighting that! Pull back! PULL BACK!!"

The ships swiftly curved around and Tohru took the wheel to lead them. "Follow us! The wind will carry us back! We're headed for Sharpshooter Island!!"

Zato lay on a bed with everyone huddled around. He was clearly conscience but deep in thought. "Akaiso.. Warren.. what connection is there?"

--  
Aboard _Skyma_  
Kisho Skies

-Captain Zato D. Alba**  
**vs**  
**-Royal Shichibukai Mr. 0 Kniex 'Storm' Akaiso  
Winner: Captain Zato D. Alba

Kisho Sea  
Frona Kingdom  
-Star Pirates  
vs  
-Akaiso Works  
Winner: Star Pirates

End.  
of.  
Saga.


End file.
